


Open Your Eyes

by sugarshake24



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 41,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarshake24/pseuds/sugarshake24
Summary: Katie Bell and Oliver Wood are best friends and roommates, living together following their Hogwarts days. Oliver is the starting Keeper for Puddlemere United and Katie is engaged to a coworker. As her wedding approaches, the two must confront their inner feelings before it's too late.
Relationships: Katie Bell/Oliver Wood
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	1. This Is Us

**AUTHOR’S NOTE – PLEASE READ:** Hi! I started writing this story years ago under a different pen name on Fanfiction.net, and am continuing it. You can find it there and here. Thank you for reading!

A few things you should note:

  * This would be considered AU, because I kept Fred Weasley alive.
  * This story alternates between Katie and Oliver’s point of views.
  * Katie’s age is different from the books and movies. In this story, she’s just a year younger than Oliver.
  * You’ll notice some pop culture references that would be considered part of the Muggle world. I’m leaving them in, because it’s amusing to see what my younger self wrote. It also seems to add some comedic elements to the story.
  * Enjoy!



* * *

** Katie’s point of view **

"Oliver James Wood!"

I stormed out of the bathroom, my hair dripping wet and my toothbrush in my hand, furious. My roommate looked up at me from the couch. "What?" he asked, staring at me.

"You used my toothbrush!" I accused, waving my pink toothbrush at him.

He shrugged. "So?"

"So," I said. "Why don't you use your own?"

He shrugged again. "I couldn't find it."

I groaned and glared at him. "Stop using my stuff!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Kates, but I do believe you're wearing my shirt right now, as we speak."

I looked down at myself in dismay, as I realized that, indeed, I was wearing Oliver’s shirt. "Well, this is different," I said defensively. "Because I don't put your shirt in my mouth!"

He smiled slightly, to my displeasure. "Oh, come on," he said. "You're acting like you're five."

"Well maybe I am!" I snapped. I wheeled around and stormed back into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

Oliver and I have been living together for the past three years, but we've been best friends since childhood. We grew up living next to each other and our families came to be good friends. We've had our share of bickering, but for the most part, we get along really well. I moved in with him a couple of years after graduating from Hogwarts and the rest is history.

About 15 minutes later, I re-emerged from the bathroom, still sulking slightly. "What time is your match tonight?" I asked.

"Seven," Oliver replied. "You coming?"

"I don't know," I answered. "Maybe. Depends on whether I can get off or not." I checked my watch. "Anyways, I'll see you later." I pulled on my jacket and hurried out the door.

The walk to St. Mungo's Hospital from our flat is a short one. I stop by the same little café every day and order a cappuccino and a muffin, then pass by the park until I reach the hospital. I entered and quickly made my way to the staff lounge, where my co-workers were pulling on their work robes. "Morning," I mumbled, shoving my purse into my locker.

"Hey Katie," came the reply. I pulled on my work robes and pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail.

"Is Katie here yet?" I looked up and smiled at my fiancé, Chris, who had appeared in the doorway. "Ah, there you are," he said, putting an arm around me and kissing me. "So, I need you to remind me, even though I've asked you about twenty times, what color are your bridesmaid dresses?"

"Light blue," I replied.

"Gotcha," he said, kissing me on the cheek. "I won't forget this time, I promise."

I smiled lightly and crossed the room, where there was a large board on the wall. I found my name and checked my assignments. "Pixie attack? That's the third time this week."

"Better than Bowtruckles," Chris muttered. "I suppose I'd better go." He kissed me on the cheek again and left the room.

"So when's the wedding date again?" I turned around to look at Olivia Foster, another one of my co-workers, who was still in the room getting dressed.

"June 16th," I replied. "Are you coming?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. I'm still not sure."

I mentally rolled my eyes. Why did I invite her in the first place? Oh wait, I didn't. Chris did. "Well, I hope you can come," I said politely and left the room.

I hurried down the corridor to room 407, where a woman was sitting up in bed, her hand bandaged. "Hello, Miss…" I checked my clipboard. "…Berkely. I'm Katie Bell. I'll be taking care of you today."

The woman looked up at me and smiled. "Good, because this hurts like hell." She lifted up her arm and I smiled.

"Let me take a look at it." I removed the bandages and studied her hand. "The good news," I said. "Is that it's not too deep. Pixies don't generally have very long teeth. However, you are at risk for an infection. Unfortunately, there is no spell to prevent Pixie infection, so I need to give you some medicine. I'll get that for you and then I think you'll be free to go." I left the room and returned after a trip to the Medicine and Antidotes room. I handed a little bottle of potion to Miss Berkely. "You should take two spoonfuls of this twice per day. I'm sorry to say it tastes awful, but it'll prevent Pixie infection and relieve some of the pain. If you experience any more pain, or your skin begins to burn after 24 hours, come back and see us." The woman thanked me and I handed her some paperwork as she left the room.

As the workday ended, I collapsed on the bench in the staff room and closed my eyes. "Rough day?" I cracked an eye open to see Chris standing over me.

"You wouldn't believe," I muttered. "I mean honestly, who tries to swordfight with a Hippogriff?”

Chris laughed and sat next to me. "I didn't get anything much better. That Bowtruckle attack was brutal."

I sighed and rested my head in his lap. "If we ever meet in our next life, remind me to become a gold digger and marry a rich man so I won't need to work."

Chris kissed me on the forehead. "I'll do that." He played with my hair. "So, do you want to go get something to eat?"

I shook my head. "No, I can't. I promised Oliver I'd go to his match if I got off in time."

Chris sighed. "All right. But don't forget about our date Friday night."

I smiled up at him. "Of course I won't."

* * *

The stadium was loud as usual, and there were lights and movement everywhere as I took seat. The quidditch players were still warming up for the match and I waved at Oliver, who glanced at me and waved back. This had sort of become our weekly ritual. I'd always sit in the same seat, in the front row, right behind the Puddlemere United goal posts. I'd wave to Oliver, who would wave back, much to the dismay of the teen girls who liked to crowd the area and giggle at Oliver's every movement during the matches.

"Oh my god!" I heard one of them say. "He's waving at me!"

"No, he's not," another one said. "He's waving at that girl there." I could just imagine her pointing at the back of my head.

"Is that Katie Bell? The girl that's always in the paper with him?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"But they're not really dating, are they?"

"I heard she's engaged."

"To Oliver?"

"No."

"Oh… Good."

"Shh! Don't let her hear you!"

I rolled my eyes and the match started.

* * *

As Oliver emerged from the locker rooms, I jumped on his back. "Great match," I said. "That last save was spectacular."

"Thanks," he grunted, holding onto my legs. "How was work?"

"Lame, stressful, chaotic," I replied.

"Hmm, sounds like you," he said. I kicked him in the side and he grunted again. "Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah, but can we stop at the store first?"

"Sure," he replied. "What do you need?"

" _You_ need a toothbrush.”

He sighed. "Fine. But can I get a pink one like yours?"

I didn't reply.

* * *

Repetition is something that occurs to all of us. We all have our little daily rituals and habits that eventually come natural to us. Sure, sometimes these rituals are interrupted, but for the most part, they become part of our daily lives.

Every morning, I wake up, get dressed, go to work. It's started to feel like a never-ending cycle, which is why I embrace the weekends with more enthusiasm than most people.

Chris and I have a weekly ritual of going to dinner and walking through the park on Friday nights.

As we walked, I shoved my hands in my coat pockets as a chilly wind swept past. "Cold?" Chris asked me. I nodded and he draped his jacket over my shoulders. "So, I was thinking," he said.

"Oh you were?"

He nodded and continued. "I was thinking that we should live on the other side of the city."

"What for?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"Well, I just think it'd be a nice change of scenery. We could live in an actual house over there," he said.

"But it's so much farther from the hospital," I noted.

"I suppose that's true," he said. "But just consider it, OK?"

I nodded. "I will."

"And besides," he continued, much to my dismay. "Won't it be nice to live in a house, instead of that flat with Oliver?"

I shrugged. "But I like my flat. It's home to me."

He slipped an arm around my waist as we left the park. "Well, just give it some thought."

It's no secret that Chris has always felt a bit threatened by Oliver, which strikes me as incredibly funny. I mean, I guess he has the right to be concerned, since I live with Oliver, but it's nothing like he thinks it is. Chris and I began dating about six months after I moved in with Oliver. He proposed about a year ago, and our wedding is set for June.

"Well I've also been thinking," I said, making an attempt to lead the subject in a lighter direction. "And I was thinking we could honeymoon in Jamaica."

"Hmm, Jamaica?" Chris repeated as we approached my flat. "That sounds nice."

"Then Jamaica it is."

We climbed the steps to the front door and he kissed me. "So I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "I might be going to my parents' place. My mom and I still have a few more wedding details we want to get planned out."

He nodded. "Well stop by if you have the chance, OK?"

I nodded and kissed him.

"OK." We said goodbye and I went inside.

Oliver was sitting at the kitchen table, asleep. I smiled and prodded him awake. "Hey Ol," I whispered. "Wake up."

"Whassuhmatter?" he mumbled, looking up.

"I think you fell asleep," I answered, sitting in a chair across from him.

"Oh." He stared at me for a moment. "How was your date?"

"It was fine," I replied.

"That's good." We sat in silence for a moment and I studied him out of the corner of my eye.

So here is where I'll be completely honest. Oliver Wood is an incredibly good-looking man. I mean _incredibly_ good-looking, like you wouldn't believe. The strange this is, he doesn't date much. He doesn't date, he doesn't have girlfriends, he doesn't have "lady friends," he just… doesn't. Which is something I still can't quite figure out. Women literally throw themselves at him every day. He's _Witch Weekly_ 's Most Eligible Bachelor, but he just doesn't seem to have any interest in dating. Sometimes he goes out with his teammates and doesn’t return for the night, so I have to assume he’s out with women then, but he’s never brought one back to our flat.

Oliver yawned and stood up. "I'm going to bed," he said.

I stood and jumped on his back. "Good, you can take me too."

"To my bed?" he asked, craning his neck to grin at me. I kicked him in the side and he yelped, much to my amusement. "Don't do that!" he demanded.

"Well don't be such a perv!"

"You're the one who told me to take you to bed."

"To _my_ bed," I defended.

"OK, we can go there if you'd prefer."

I made an attempt to kick him again, but he grabbed my leg and I fell off his back and hit the floor with a loud thump. "Ow!" I whined. He picked me up and began to carry me to my room. "I think my arm is broken," I complained. "You broke it."

"Well if you didn't kick me all the time, I wouldn't have had the need to," he retorted, tossing me on my bed. He turned around to leave and I tossed a pillow at the back of his head. He picked it up and hurled it at me. I screamed and covered my head as it bounced off my leg. "'Night Katers," he said, turning off the light.

"'Night."


	2. Nothing's Going to Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris raises concerns about Oliver, much to Katie's disagreement.

** Katie's point of view **

By the time Friday rolled around, I was exhausted, tired, and stressed. Wedding plans don't mix well with PMS. Two months to go, Katie. Two months to go.

I managed to get off work a little early to slip home and take a quick shower before my weekly date with Chris. Oliver was asleep on the couch and _"Sex and the City"_ was muted on the television, which I’d nicked from my muggle Aunt Gina. I nudged Oliver with my knee and he rolled over, turning his back to me.

"Wake me up in 20 minutes," he mumbled.

I raised my eyebrows at him and nudged him again. "I can't," I said. "I'm going out with Chris soon. Get up. You have a match in two hours."

"Yes, Mother," Oliver sighed, sitting up slowly. A small silence fell between us and I turned to glance at the TV.

"So," I said. "Are you a Carrie or a Samantha fan?"

"What?" Oliver gave me a blank stare.

"Nevermind," I sighed. "I guess you're not a true fan."

"Katie, what the hell are you talking about?" Oliver demanded.

"Nothing," I sang out before making my way toward the bathroom.

I met Chris at our favorite bistro on the outskirts of the city. We discussed the day's medical cases and a couple of wedding details before Chris put on what I call his "Serious Face.”

"Katie," he started. "I want to discuss something with you. It's about your friend, Oliver."

"OK, seriously Chris," I said. "You've known Oliver for two years and have become fair acquaintances. Will you stop referring to him as that?"

"Sorry," Chris apologized quickly. "But anyway, it's about your current situation."

"Current situation?" I repeated blankly.

"Yeah," Chris continued. "You know, your living together."

"What about it?"

"I don't think I'm comfortable with it anymore."

"Chris," I sighed. "You know all too well that Oliver and I are just friends."

"That's what you think."

"Excuse me?" I realized I was beginning to raise my voice.

"Look, Katie," Chris said calmly, reaching for my hand. "I know that you're devoted to me. I know that you love me and that you're ready to marry me. But I'm not sure Oliver feels the same way you do."

"It's really not any of your b-"

"It's more than my business," he snapped, suddenly losing his calm composure. "You're my fiancée. I don't want some guy going after you."

"He's not some guy, Chris," I said hotly. "He's my best friend."

"And his intentions are more than that."

"He doesn't have intentions!" I exclaimed. "He's… he's… Oliver!"

"You'll see it someday, Katie," Chris said. "But just consider moving out, OK?"

"Right," I spat sarcastically. "Because you have _so_ much room at your place for me."

"Well, no," Chris said. "But we'll be getting our own place in two months."

"Exactly," I pointed out. "You can't just wait another two months?"

"Well, no," Chris repeated again. "Because these next two months are crucial."

"Crucial? Why?"

"Because Oliver's going to realize that he's about to lose you," Chris explained. "And then he's going to finally make a move on you."

"Oliver is _not_ going to be making any moves on me," I defended. "First of all, because he doesn't have feelings like that, and second of all, because he's above that low level." I gazed at him, my eyes narrowing slightly. "You've sure put a lot of thought into this."

"Of course I have," Chris said. "I know what Oliver's going to be after."

My cool gaze turned into an icy glare. "You know what?" I stood up, slinging my purse over my shoulder. "I'm going.”

"Katie, wait," Chris begged, squeezing my hand. "I'm trying to make a point here."

"You've made your point clear, Chris," I said, pulling my hand away. "You obviously don't trust me, or my best friend."

"I trust you," Chris insisted, pushing his chair back to leave with me.

"No, you don't. Because if you did, you wouldn't care about Oliver in the first place." I slipped my jacket on and turned to face him. "I'll see you later." I turned and left, pushing my way out into the rain.

**Oliver's point of view**

I stepped out of the locker rooms, turning away from the reporters and cameramen. Pulling my hood up over my head, I did a double-take as I spotted Katie standing nearby, her hair clinging to her face in the rain. "Katie!" I called out to her. She turned and waved as she saw me, pushing her way through the stream of people. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you had a date."

"I did," she replied bitterly. I frowned slightly at her harsh tone.

"What happened?"

"Chris is being ridiculous," she sighed. We shoved our way past another group of paparazzi and I put my hand up to fend off a camera.

"Oliver!" a brunette reporter shouted. "Oliver, will you and Ms. Bell pose for a picture?" I shouldered my way past her, pulling Katie behind. "Oliver," the reporter called after me. "How do you feel about Ms. Bell’s upcoming wedding? Ms. Bell, where is your fiancé?" We made our way out of the stadium and onto Main Street.

"So why is Chris being ridiculous?" I asked. Was it wrong that I received great joy in Katie's anger toward the git?

…Probably. But I didn't care.

"He just…" She fell silent. "Ugh, it's just so absurd! …He doesn't want us living together anymore."

"Why not?" I asked, turning to look at her.

"Because he claims that we're going to hook up," she said flatly.

Oh, I'm counting down the days.

"He… he said that?" I asked, trying to feign surprise.

"Yeah," she muttered. "I mean, honestly. It _is_ possible for two people of the opposite sex to be friends. Especially since we've been friends for what, eighteen years?"

"Yeah, since we were kids," I mumbled quietly. "Sounds like he's jealous."

Score. Oliver, 1. Chris, 0.

"But he knows he doesn't have any reason to be jealous!" she exclaimed.

Ouch. I take that back.

"Well, he's probably just concerned," I said, trying to act like I was unbothered. "I mean, would you want him living with another woman?"

"No," Katie answered. "But _we're_ different. We're not attracted to each other like that."

Speak for yourself.

"Well, then maybe he's just getting a bit nervous," I suggested. Why the hell was I defending this guy? "You know, you're getting married in two months."

"Yeah, I guess so," Katie sighed. "I thought getting married was supposed to be life-changing and exciting. Instead, I just want to punch someone in the face."

"You can punch out any one of those reporters back there," I said eagerly. "Go ahead, take your pick. I suggest the one that tries to hide in my locker. I'm not even sure he's a real reporter."

Katie snorted. "Poor Oliver Wood," she teased. "It must be so hard, everyone fawning over you."

"It is hard," I said indignantly. "Do you know how creepy it is to receive love notes and nude photos from people you've never met?"

"Well, yes actually," she replied. "Marcus Flint sent some to me during my fifth year."

I stared at her and my suppressed hate for my old quidditch rival began to resurface. "Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded.

"Why would I?" she asked, shrugging a shoulder before putting on a false voice. "Oh, hello Oliver. Good practice today. How did your Charms exam go? Oh, by the way, Flint sent me pictures of his-"

"All right, all right, I get it," I interrupted.

"And besides," Katie continued. "You just would have beaten him up. Again."

"Exactly."

She rolled her eyes at me and let me get a few steps ahead before jumping on my back, without warning per usual. "Carry me" she ordered.

"Like I have a choice?" I groaned.

"I'll repay you," she said.

"Oh, really?" I mused. "How?" She kicked me in the back and I yelped. "Nevermind," I sighed. "But can we watch some more 'Sex and the City _'_? To be completely honest, I'm more of a Charlotte fan."

**Katie's point of view**

A loud pounding on the door awoke me from my pleasant dream and I jackknifed myself out of bed. Oliver came stumbling from his room, mumbling several obscenities. "It's 2:30 in the morning," he grumbled. "What the hell?" He crossed through the living room and yanked the front door open as I hid behind him, in case the visitor were to brutally attack us.

"Can I talk to Katie?" I heard a familiar voice say. I stepped out from behind Oliver.

"What is it, Chris?" I sighed. "What are you doing here this early?"

"I have to talk to you, Katie," he muttered, stepping inside and slipping his arms around me. "I feel terrible and I've been up all night thinking about it." I blinked. What are we, school children in drama class?

Oliver pushed his way past us, still grumbling. I turned and watched as he disappeared back into his bedroom.

"Katie, I'm really sorry," Chris continued. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything."

"I know," I sighed, dropping the volume of my voice. "Maybe I overreacted a little. But you have to understand, Chris, Oliver is my best friend. Nothing is going to happen."

"I trust you, Kate," he said, hugging me tighter. "I really do. And I trust him, but I just feel a little unsure. How do you know he doesn't have feelings for you?"

"Because he's Oliver!" I insisted. "He just… doesn't."

…Does he?

Chris sighed and kissed me on the forehead. "OK," he said. "We'll drop it at that. We've only got two months left anyway." I nodded and he squeezed my hand. "So, are we good?"

I nodded and forced a small smile. "We're good." Chris kissed me goodbye and left, quietly closing the door behind himself. But instead of returning to bed, I let myself sink onto the couch.

…Does he?

I shook my head and nearly laughed at myself. I was just getting nervous. Two months to go.


	3. Giving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Weasley twins make an appearance and Katie admits she's scared to move out.

** Katie’s point of view **

"I really, really hate you," I muttered at Oliver the next morning.

"Gee, it's good to see you too, Sunshine," he said with a raised eyebrow. "What'd I do this time?"

"You know very well what you did," I said sharply, throwing my soaking wet bath towel at him.

He caught it with ease and tossed it back to me, where it landed at my feet, making an unpleasant squishing sound. "I didn't use it for myself," he said. "The toilet overflowed and I had to mop up all the water."

I nearly died.

I kicked my towel across the room where it smacked against the wall, leaving a slick trail of water across the floor. Every obscenity in the book erupted from my mouth as I attempted to claw every part of Oliver I could get my hands on.

"Relax!" he shouted, raising his hands to cover his face. "I was just kidding! I used it! I used it!"

"I hate you!" I screamed. "You sick son-of-a-" My words fell short as Oliver threw a glass of water on me.

Saturday, April 3, 9:14 a.m.: The day Katie Bell snaps.

I threw myself on Oliver and he stumbled across the kitchen. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he yelled as I grabbed his hair. A loud knock on the door stopped us dead in our tracks. Oliver crossed the room to the front door, still carrying me on his back, and opened it. Two red-headed men stood facing us, each with identical grins.

"Er, is this a bad time?" one of them asked.

"Weasleys!" I exclaimed, scrambling to climb off of Oliver. He grunted as I accidentally elbowed him in the stomach. I jumped toward Fred and George, pulling them into a hug.

"Boy, Fred," George said. "I didn't know we were getting in on some of this action too."

"Give me a moment to take my pants off, will you Katie?"

I shot a look at the twins and they grinned. "So uh, what are you two really up to?" George asked, giving me a critical stare.

"Just having breakfast," Oliver replied.

"You eat breakfast like that?" Fred asked me.

"Like what?" I demanded.

"Like you're in a wet t-shirt contest."

"No," I answered defensively. "But _some_ people think it's OK to use my towel and then throw water on me when I call them out on it." I whirled around to glare at Oliver, who merely shrugged.

"And some people think it's OK to attack me when I'm defenseless," he mused.

The twins looked back and forth between us before making their way into our flat. "Well, we can't stay long," George said, despite sitting down on the couch. "But we just thought we'd let you know that the group is going out for drinks and whatnot tomorrow. You two in?"

"Of course," Oliver and I replied simultaneously.

By "the group", George means he and Fred, Angelina, Alicia, Oliver, and me. Ever since graduating from Hogwarts, the six of us have remained close. Fred and Angelina got married last summer and though Alicia and George broke up at one point, they'd gotten back together recently.

"Where are we going?" Oliver asked.

"Some new restaurant downtown," George replied. "Looks pretty good."

"It's not another strip club, is it?" I asked suspiciously.

"No," Fred sighed. "Not this time. Angie's still mad at me about that." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, we'd better get going. We're supposed to be receiving a new shipment of Wheezes in an hour." The twins stood up and made their way toward the door.

"By the way, Katie," George said. "Nice bra.”

I slammed the door in their faces.

"So what did Chris want?" Oliver asked me after I'd dried myself off and my shirt was no longer transparent.

"To apologize," I sighed.

"So, are you moving out?"

"Of course not," I replied, shaking my head. "That's ridiculous."

"Did you forgive him?"

"Of course," I answered. "He apologized. He still doesn't fully trust you though."

"Oh well," Oliver said passively. "He'll get over it all once you really do move out."

My heart got that unpleasant, twisted feeling. I hugged Oliver around the waist and pouted. "But I don't want to move out," I whined.

"Well, you kind of have to," Oliver laughed. "The three of us can't all live together."

"I know," I sighed dejectedly. "But it's going to be weird. Who's going to make me banana pancakes?"

"I'm sure Chris will," Oliver assured me.

"No, he won't," I protested. "He's a terrible cook. And he hates bananas."

"I'll make them and owl them to you," Oliver promised. "But what about me? What am I going to do? Whose towel will I use?"

"I'm sure you'll find some other poor, innocent victim to take my place," I told him. "Someone with an even better pink towel."

"I doubt it," he sighed. A sad silence fell between us and Oliver tugged on my ponytail. "It _is_ going to be weird, isn't it?" he said. "It's not going to be the same."

I could feel my heart twisting into thousands of knots as I thought about it more. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to latch on to Oliver forever. Truth is, I was scared. I didn't want to step out into the world away from him. He was more than my best friend, he was my better half. He'd seen me at my best and at my worst. I wasn't sure how to cope without him. He sort of held me together, I guess.

"I'm scared," I admitted. The one thing I admired about Oliver above all else was his willingness to listen to me. He never seemed to care what I talked about, as long as I could open up to him. He didn't judge me or try to change me. He didn't try to force his own opinions on me. He just let me do the talking.

"Scared of what?" he asked, resting a hand on the small of my back. "Moving out?"

"Of everything," I blurted out. "Of leaving you, of getting married, just everything in general."

"Don't worry about me, Kate," he said. "I'll make it without you."

"Yeah, but _I_ won't make it without _you_ ," I insisted. "I don't talk to Chris the way I talk with you. He's too superficial. And he takes everything way too seriously."

"But you can always come talk to me," Oliver reminded me. "I'm not going anywhere, Kate."

I sighed and rested my head against his chest. "This sucks," I mumbled. "Maybe Chris and I will just adopt you. Then you can come live with us.

"And you'll be my mother?" Oliver asked.

"Mmhmm."

"I'm not sure about that," Oliver said. "You'd probably spank me.”

"And you'd like it."

"You're right, I would."

**Oliver's point of view**

My conversation with Katie left my mind in utter, complete disarray. She was having second thoughts. I felt relieved and uneasy at the same time. But despite my unsure thoughts, I knew one thing for sure: she was afraid to leave me. To be completely honest, I was afraid to let her go. Not because I didn't want her to get married to Chris, but because Chris didn't deserve her. Not that I necessarily did either, but at least I understood her more than he did. I didn't want Katie to realize that before it was too late.

The following night, Katie and I met up with the group for dinner and drinks. As I slid into a booth after Katie, the twins crammed themselves in next to me.

"So Katie," George said, leaning over me. "How are the wedding plans going?"

"Fine," Katie replied with a shrug. "They're pretty much done with, I guess. Just little details."

"Well I'm still awfully upset that you didn't ask me to be your maid of honor," Fred sighed.

"Right," Katie said. "Because I'm sure you would have looked stunning in a blue dress."

"Well Oliver could have done it," George suggested.

"I am _not_ going to wear a dress," I said hotly.

Instead, I'd received the honor of being one of Chris's groomsmen, though I'd rather spend a week locked in a room full of Pixies. Nonetheless, Katie insisted that I be in the wedding and I grudgingly agreed.

"Don't people of your kind wear plaid skirts?" Fred asked.

"They're kilts!" I said defensively. "And I've never worn one, thank you very much."

"So, Katie," Angelina suddenly interrupted, probably aware that I was about to punch out her husband. "Where are you and Chris going to live?"

I suddenly looked up. I hadn't really thought of that. Though I knew Katie would be moving out, I hadn't thought about where her new place would be.

"Well, Chris wants to live on the other side of the city," Katie said.

Why there?

"Isn't that kind of far from the hospital?" Angelina asked.

Yeah, isn't it?

"Mmhmm," Katie nodded. "But we could buy an actual house there."

"I thought you liked living in a flat?" Alicia asked.

"I do," Katie replied with a shrug. "But Chris wants a house. And it'll be worthwhile in the long run, you know, when we have kids."

...Kids?

"And it'll be quieter there too," Katie continued. "Not as much city traffic and stuff."

"I thought you liked the city," Alicia said.

"Yeah," I finally managed to chirp in.

Katie shrugged slightly and took a sip of her drink. "Sometimes when you love someone, you just have to give in to them."


	4. Do You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie has another fight with Chris, causing Oliver to console her.

**Katie's point of view**

"Katie. Katie, get up."

I rolled over in my sleep. After doing so, a shock of pain surged through my head and I groaned. "What the-"

"Katie," I head Oliver's voice say. "You have to be at work in half an hour."

"WHAT?!"

I immediately regretted my decision to shout as more pain took over my head. More importantly, I regretted my decision to have more than "just a few" drinks the previous night. I slowly sat up, letting my legs dangle over the edge of the bed. "I hate my life," I mumbled, leaning sideways against Oliver's shoulder.

"Katie, you're going to be late for work," Oliver reminded me. I cursed under my breath.

"Can't you just go for me?" I asked.

"Oh yes," Oliver replied. "I'll just put a blonde wig on and we'll be all set. No one will know the difference."

I groaned. I was not in the mood for any kind of humor whatsoever. I slowly stood up, using Oliver's shoulder for support. "Never ever let me drink again," I muttered.

"Right," Oliver replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Because I'm sure you'll listen to me."

I ignored him and trudged my way out of the room and into the bathroom.

* * *

"You're late," my supervisor pointed out as I appeared in the staff lounge, my hair a mess and my shirt half-buttoned. All of my co-workers had already left for their assignments.

"I know," I mumbled. "Sorry."

"Yes well, get to work," she snapped. "Go find Warren. There's a severe Billywig attack in room 206." I nodded and made my way to room 206, where Chris was already helping the patient.

"You OK?" he asked, looking up at me.

"Of course," I replied with a nod, leaning over to examine the patient's wounds. "Just overslept."

Chris studied me for a moment and frowned. "You're hungover, aren't you?"

"…What?"

"Katie, don't lie to me."

I glanced at the patient who was staring at us, amused. "Chris, this isn't the time. We'll talk later."

Chris glared at me and I sighed as I began to wrap the patient's leg. "Who were you with?" he suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Who were you with last night?"

"I was with Oliver, the twins, and the girls," I answered. "I don't see why that ma-"

"You were with all of them the entire night?"

"Well, no," I replied, slightly confused. "I mean, I went back home, obviously."

"So you were with Oliver?"

"Well, yeah," I said, narrowing my eyes. "He _is_ my roommate." Chris didn't respond, but simply shook his head and went back to wrapping the patient's hand. "What?" I demanded. "What's wrong with that?"

"A lot of things, Katie," he said tersely. He looked up at me. "Nothing happened, did it?"

"What? No!" I exclaimed, forgetting about the patient.

"Are you sure? He could have tried something-"

"Are you _serious_?!" I exclaimed.

"Well, you _were_ drunk, Katie," Chris said calmly. "He could have taken advantage of you."

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"What's going on in here?" I jumped a little at the intrusion of the new voice and jerked my head around to see my supervisor glaring at us in the doorway. "Warren, get out," she snapped. "Go see what your next assignment is. Bell, you're on thin ice here. You'd better shape up." She disappeared and Chris stood up.

"We'll talk later," he mumbled as he disappeared from the room.

"Are you guys siblings or something?" the patient suddenly asked. I jumped again, forgetting he was there.

"Er, no," I replied. "He's my fiancé."

"I see. So tell me, what's it like, living with Oliver Wood?"

"Er, what?"

"Oliver Wood… What's it like living with him? And just knowing him in general?”

"It's fine, I guess," I replied.

"I see you in the papers with him all the time," the young man said. "I bet it's great."

"Honestly, it really isn't," I mumbled. "It's pretty annoying."

"Oh, I don't mean being in the paper," the man said. "I mean knowing Oliver Wood."

"Oh, right," I said. "Yeah, he's great."

"Say, do you think you could introduce me to him?" the man asked eagerly.

"Um, well, I suppose so," I said slowly.

"Really?" The man sat up quickly and winced. "That'd be amazing, a real dream come true. Do you think I could get some pictures of him as well? I've been trying for years, but he's just so hard to-"

"I'm sure he'd love to take a picture with you," I said. "Wait, are you a photographer or something?"

"No, not exactly," the man said. "I just like to collect pictures of celebrities. I've done everything to get Oliver's."

I couldn't help it. I stared. I checked the man's chart for a name… Kevin Creevey?

"Well," I said standing up quickly. "I think you're all bandaged up. I'll have some antidote sent up to your room shortly."

"Wait!" he shouted as I started for the door. "You're going to introduce me to Oliver, right?"

"Yeah," I lied. "Definitely." And I hurried away.

Note to self: Tell Oliver to change the locks.

* * *

A couple hours later, I collapsed into a chair in the hospital café, where I tanked myself up with three cups of coffee. I rested my head on the table and closed my eyes when I heard a chair scrape across the floor. "Hey." I groaned inwardly and looked up at Chris, who was gazing down at me.

"Hey," I mumbled, sitting up slowly. I didn't look at him, but stared into my empty coffee cup.

"Katie, I think you should come live with me for the next few months," he said.

"There isn't any room, Chris.”

"I'll make room," he replied tersely. "I can't stand this anymore."

"Well neither can I," I said hotly. "I'm sick of you accusing me-"

"I'm not accusing _you_ ," Chris interjected. "It's Oliver I'm accusing."

"And you have no right to," I shot back. "He's not going to do anything. It's not-"

"Like that between you?" he finished. "Right?"

"…Right."

"Katie, let me ask you something," he said. "Why doesn't Oliver have a girlfriend? He's one of the most eligible bachelors in the wizarding world. Why doesn't he go out with anyone? Why does he spend all of his time with you?"

"Because he's not like that!" I defended, trying to fight a sudden dizzy spell. This was not the time for a hangover. "He knows that half of those women only like him because he's famous and good-looking."

"So you admit you're attracted to him?"

"…What?"

"You just said he was good-looking."

"Well, yeah!" I exclaimed. "But that doesn't mean I have feelings for him!"

"But he has feelings for you, Katie."

"No, he doesn't!"

I wanted to scream or punch something. I was getting really sick of Chris treating me like this.

"He does, Katie," Chris said. His voice was still surprisingly calm. "He doesn't go out with other women because he only wants you. He doesn't spend time with anyone else because he only wants to be with you."

I'd heard enough. "That's it," I said, standing up quickly. "I am so sick of you trashing Oliver like that. He hasn't done anything to you."

"Why are you defending him?" Chris demanded.

"Why wouldn't I defend him?" I cried.

"I'll tell you why," Chris said, raising his voice. "Because you care about him more than me."

My head spun and my vision wavered in and out of focus. "You know what, Chris?" I spat, my voice dropping lower. "Maybe I do."

**Oliver's point of view**

I jumped about three feet in the air as I heard the front door slam. I looked up to see Katie violently throw her jacket on a chair. She sank onto the floor and buried her face in her hands. I immediately jumped up and sat down on the floor next to her. "What the hell happened?" I demanded.

Katie sobbed a little and shook her head, burying her face against my chest. I hugged her and tucked some loose strands of her hair behind her ears. She sobbed a sentence that I couldn't quite make out, though I caught the words, "Chris" and "you."

"What?" I asked.

Katie took a few moments to catch her breath, though I could feel my shirt becoming increasingly wet. "It's Chris," she finally said.

"Why does that not surprise me?" I muttered.

"He flipped out on me because of last night," she said.

"What? What happened last night?" I asked, confused. "You were with me the whole night."

"Exactly," she said. "He didn't like the fact that I was drinking with you. And he said that you might have tried to take advantage of me."

" _What_?"

"Yeah, I know," Katie mumbled. "And he keeps saying that you-"

"That I what?" I demanded.

"Ugh, nevermind," Katie said. "He's just being so ridiculous."

"Katie, he shouldn't be doing this to you," I said quietly. "He shouldn't be putting you through this." Katie nodded and hugged me around the waist.

We sat there on the cold floor for several minutes in a quiet silence. Katie's blonde hair spilled around her shoulders and I could feel her hands clutching the back of my shirt. I stared at the wall across the room from where we sat in a crumpled heap by the door. Katie's breathing slowed down to a normal pace and she looked up at me.

"I just can't believe him," she finally said. "You and I have been living together since before he and I started dating. He's never really complained about it before. And the things he says, they're just so insane!"

"What exactly does he say?" I asked, using my shirt to wipe her eyes a little.

"He says that he doesn't trust you and that you might try to get with me and he just absolutely _insists_ that you have feelings for me."

I desperately prayed she couldn't feel my heart pounding in my chest. "Well, he seems awfully insecure," I offered.

"I know!" Katie exclaimed. "It's completely uncalled for!"

"Yeah, it looks like he has some trust issues or some-"

"And I tell him time and time again that you and I aren't like that," Katie continued. "I tell him how ridiculous and irrational he's being, and how you don't have feelings for me, but he just doesn't listen."

"Yeah, he really-"

"I mean, you don't, do you?"


	5. Sooner or Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions continue between Katie and Chris, leaving Oliver to cheer Katie up.

** Oliver's point of view **

"…W-What?" I stammered.

"You don't," Katie repeated. "You know, have feelings for me. Do you?"

"Katie, we've been best friends since we were toddlers," I said. Was I trying too hard to seem amused? "And as ridiculous as you are, do you really think I want to lose my friendship with you?"

"Well, no," Katie answered.

"And since we've known each other for so long, having grown up together, gone to school together, having lived together, don't you think if something were to happen, it would have by now?" I went on. Wow, I was really shooting myself in the foot here.

"Well, Chris doesn't seem to think that," Katie said.

"I guess he's threatened by my good looks." I was trying desperately hard to make light of the situation. Katie gave me a look and I smiled. "Or maybe he just loves you."

"If he loved me, he'd trust me," Katie mumbled.

"Well, maybe he shouldn't," I joked. "Maybe you secretly want me and you don't know it."

I've always known that I'd choke on my own sarcasm someday.

** Katie's point of view **

By 6 p.m., I was surprised that Chris hadn't come by, begging for forgiveness. I guess Oliver noticed my concern, because he suggested we go out for dinner. But I, not wanting to wake up with another hangover, suggested we stay in, and Oliver offered to cook for me.

What a gentleman. Maybe I _should_ be second-guessing myself here. …Nah. 

Anyway, though I agreed to let him cook dinner for me, he seemed a bit disappointed when I told him I only wanted macaroni and cheese. And not the homemade kind, the kind you just buy in a blue box and boil the noodles. Nonetheless, Oliver produced a gourmet meal of macaroni and cheese and store-bought cookies.

And they call me high-maintenance… I think not.

It was after my third helping of macaroni when there was a knock at the front door. I looked at Oliver, who stood up to answer it. "Wait," I whispered. "It's probably Chris." I stood up and tiptoed toward the nearest bedroom. "If it is, tell him I'm asleep."

"Why?" Oliver asked.

"Just do it!" I whispered loudly, hurrying into Oliver's room. I crawled in bed and pulled the covers over my head as I heard Oliver open the door. Sure enough, I recognized Chris's voice asking for me and Oliver telling him I was asleep.

"Well, I need to talk to her," I heard Chris demand. My heart stopped as the front door closed and I heard two pairs of footsteps. The footsteps made their way past Oliver's door and back toward my room. "Where is she?" I heard Chris ask. I held my breath as I heard his footsteps approach Oliver's room and stop in the doorway. "Katie?"

I groaned inwardly and rolled over, trying to look as if I'd been asleep. "Chris?" I mumbled.

"Katie, what are you doing?"

"I'm sleeping," I answered, trying my best to look bewildered.

"Why aren't you in your own bed?"

I looked around, as if I were confused. "I don't know," I replied. "I guess I just fell asleep."

"In Oliver's bed?"

"Well, yeah," I answered. I looked up and met Chris's eyes. I knew that a simple "I'm sorry" wouldn't fix this. But the more I looked at his cold gaze, the more I realized that maybe I just didn't care. "Nothing happened," I pointed out. "Nothing ever does."

"And that makes it OK for you to sleep in another man's bed?" Chris inquired.

"Well, what does it matter if I didn't do anything?"

"Katie, you just don't get it, do you?" Chris asked.

"Apparently not," I replied shortly. Instead of launching into a lengthy lecture, Chris merely stared me down for a few moments.

"Fine," was all he said. "Fine. I'm going." He turned and disappeared from the doorway. I sat there on the bed until I heard the front door slam shut.

Oliver appeared in the doorway a few moments later. "Well," he said quietly. "Do you want me to bring you some more macaroni?" I nodded silently, keeping my gaze straight ahead toward the green wall. Oliver left for a few minutes and returned with a bowl of macaroni and a bottle of water. "Are you OK?" he asked, sitting down next to me, leaning back against the headboard.

I nodded, shoving a forkful of macaroni into my mouth. It took me a moment to swallow as his question hung in my head. Suddenly, I bit my bottom lip and tears started to form in my eyes.

"No," I finally managed. And I leaned against Oliver, sobbing into his chest.

** Oliver's point of view **

I woke up the next morning with Katie asleep next to me and macaroni in my hair. I prodded her awake and she rolled over. "Katie, wake up," I said.

"No," she mumbled stubbornly. I sighed and picked a macaroni noodle out of my hair. I glanced at Katie, who was lying face down, and threw it at her. "I'll kill you," she threatened as she rolled over to slam the pillow against my face. I blinked a few times and she laughed.

"That's not funny," I said, trying my best to sound serious. "You could ruin my award-winning good looks."

"Award winning?" Katie snorted.

"Someday," I replied. "I'm the next Gilderoy Lockhart. Minus the whole faking-my-way-to-fame thing."

Instead of replying with a snide, witty comeback, Katie hit me with another pillow. Grabbing it from her, I gently held it over her face, pretending to smother her. Her arms flailed wildly and she somehow managed to grab a handful of my hair. "Ow!" I released my hold on her and she sat up, still holding me by the hair.

"Apologize!" she demanded.

"Make me, you- Ow!" I groaned as she tightened her grip on my hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"What was that?" Katie asked loudly. "I couldn't understand you."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Katie released me and lay back down, pulling the covers over her head. We sat in silence as I stared at the lump of blankets next to me. "So," I finally repeated. "Are you OK?"

It took her a few moments to reply. She slowly pulled the covers back down and I couldn't help but notice she was wearing a low-cut tank top. "Yeah," she sighed, returning my attention back toward her face. "I just don't care anymore."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "You don't care about Chris?"

"No, I care about him," she said, resulting in a mental image of myself punching Chris in the face. "I just… I don't know. I just don't care about what he has to say. I like my life. He doesn't have the right to change it."

"But aren't you going to have to change it eventually?" I asked. God, I really don't know how to help my own cause, do I?

"What do you mean?" Katie inquired.

"Well, when you get married, you're going to have to move out and commit yourself to him anyway, aren't you?"

Another moment of silence followed and Katie lay there quietly, consumed in thought. "Well, yeah," she replied. But she couldn't continue her thoughts.

"Then you're going to have to adjust to a new lifestyle sooner or later," I pointed out.

"Wait." Katie sat up slightly, resting back on her elbows as she peered at me. "Do you _want_ me to move out?"

"Of course not," I replied immediately. "Kate, you know I like living with you, as insane as you may be."

"Well then why are you so eager for me to get married and leave?"

I really need to learn to just keep my mouth shut. But as I looked at Katie, I knew that trying to keep her here would only benefit myself. If Katie really loved Chris, she should be with him, not me.

"I'm not eager for you to leave," I said. "But maybe it really is for the best. I don't want to keep causing problems between you and Chris."

"You're not the one creating problems," Katie said. "Chris is. He doesn't trust me."

"Well, then I don't know what to tell you, Katie," I sighed. And I didn't. I wanted to tell her to do whatever made her happy, but I wasn't so sure she even knew what that was.


	6. All Dressed in White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie think it's time to move in with Chris, but has second thoughts when she takes Oliver to try on her wedding dress.

** Katie's point of view **

My conversation with Oliver left my mind feeling cluttered. In my head, I tried my hardest to see reason within his opinions. Yes, I was engaged, and no, I couldn't live with Oliver forever, but despite my conscious, something in me didn't want to let go.

How pathetic of me.

No, seriously. I felt like one of those ignorant women in romance movies who ends up torn between two men, despite the fact that she knows who she should be with.

Well OK, my situation isn't exactly that extreme. I'm not torn between two men, not romantically. I'm torn between a man and my best friend. Not that Oliver isn't a man, he's very much a man, but to me, he's… well, my best friend.

…What if I tried to set Oliver up with someone? I mean, it's not that he has trouble meeting women. They throw themselves at him on a daily basis, write him fan mail, and send him photographs. But Oliver knows better than to waste his time on them. Maybe if I introduced him to someone who won't be starstruck by him, he'd finally find someone. Then he wouldn't be lonely when I moved out.

I strolled into work the following morning, tired yet refreshed. I'd had plenty of time to think about things, and I was ready and rehearsed to make things right.

Chris was sitting on a bench in the staff locker room talking to Olivia. His eyes shifted toward me as I walked in and I offered him a tiny, forced smile. He stood and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into his shoulder. "I've just been confused."

"Confused about what?" Chris asked.

"Everything. But I'm OK," I added quickly, noticing his concerned expression. "I guess I just had to grow up a little."

"And where do you stand now?"

"I'm going to move in with you," I said firmly. "You were right. You're my fiancé, Oliver's just my best friend. I owe more to you than him."

As soon as the words left my lips, they felt wrong, like they were in some sort of foreign language or something. Then I realized I had just lied through my teeth.

"Well, I'm glad you finally understand," Chris said, kissing my forehead. "I knew you would. And tell me, was I right about Oliver? Did he try to put the moves on you or something?"

Hot anger began to surface, but I suppressed it. "No," I said calmly. "Of course not. Despite what you're always going to think, Oliver doesn't see me like that. He's had plenty of opportunities to 'put the moves on me', but he hasn't. In fact, I think I'm going to try to set him up with Leah."

"Leah?" Chris asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's interesting."

"I think they'd be good for each other," I said. "She's quiet and kind, he's polite and charming. They've got a shot, don't you think?"

Chris nodded. "Sure, why not? Better Leah than you." I shot him a look and he grimaced slightly. "OK, I'll stop," he said, turning to shut his locker. "I'll see you later." He pressed a kiss against my cheek before slipping out of the room.

Relieved, I sat down on the bench to put my work shoes on. Olivia, who had been fixing her hair, turned to face me. "So, you two are cool now?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course," I said. "It was just a misunderstanding. You know how men are," I joked. "They never listen."

Olivia rose an eyebrow at me and stood. "Right," she said. "So, I heard you say that you want to fix Oliver Wood up with Leah?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I think they'd be a good match."

"Well, just so you know, she has a boyfriend, I'm pretty sure," Olivia said, checking herself in a mirror.

I shrugged a shoulder, annoyed. "I'll talk to her." Olivia eyed me for another moment before turning to leave.

"Well," she said. "Have a nice day."

"You too," I sighed.

The work day was exhausting, one of the worst I'd been through. Mondays are always bad, but this was uncalled for. There's something about the weekend that causes people to lose their minds and engage in stupid activities. Some of the other Healers and I were forced to work overtime, until late evening. I sipped a cup of tea with Chris in the hospital cafeteria before heading home with the intent to pass out in bed.

When I reached the flat, I found the door unlocked, which I found odd. Oliver was usually pretty good at keeping it locked, especially now, after someone released our address to the public.

I shut the door quietly and slipped my shoes off, hearing voices from the kitchen. I crossed the living room to the kitchen, where I found Olivia and Oliver sitting at the kitchen table. (Author's note: I didn't intend for their names to be so cheesily similar. My bad.)

"Olivia," I said blankly.

"Katie!" she cooed. "Did you have to work overtime? God, I feel so bad for you! I'm so glad I left when I did."

"Er, yeah," I said, my ability to string a sentence together suddenly absent. "What are you-"

"Well, I'd thought you'd already left work," Olivia interrupted. "So when I saw your bag in the staff room, I thought you'd forgotten it, so I brought it for you."

I spotted a bag sitting on the chair beside Olivia. "Er, that's not mine," I said. "I have my bag." I held out my tote bag for her to see.

"Oh my gosh!" Olivia exclaimed. "Really? I could've sworn this was yours!"

"Uh, no," was all I could manage.

Olivia had known very well that was not my bag. We all knew it was our co-worker, Sarah's. I glanced at Oliver, who seemed to be studying me with a confused expression. Then everything clicked. Olivia and Oliver.

Oh God, please, no.

"Well, thanks for the nice thought," I said, forcing a smile. "But I think that might be Sarah's bag."

"Really?" Olivia said, picking up the bag, pretending to examine it. "You know, I guess you're right." She stood, pushing her chair in and slinging the bag over her shoulder. "Well, I guess I'll see if I can get this back to her." She turned to gaze at Oliver. "Well, it was nice seeing you, Oliver," she said. "We'll have to do this again sometime."

As she crossed the kitchen toward the living room, I noticed she wasn't wearing her work clothes. Instead, she'd changed into an incredibly tight blouse, which wasn't buttoned nearly enough. I followed her through the living room and opened the door for her.

"Goodbye, Katie," she said sweetly. "See you tomorrow." I didn't say anything. Instead, I shut the door loudly and locked it, before hurrying back to the kitchen, where Oliver was still sitting.

" _Please_ tell me you didn't do anything," I said desperately. Oliver stared at me. So maybe I was a bit jealous of her. But Oliver was my best friend, and Olivia sure as hell didn't deserve him.

"What?"

"You and Olivia. Please tell me nothing happened between you two."

"Katie, what the hell?" he asked. "This is only the second time I've met her. Of course not. We were just talking."

"About what?" I demanded.

"Just stuff," he replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What's with you?"

"Nothing," I said. "I just don't think you should get involved with Olivia. She's not… she's not a good person."

"Involved?" Oliver repeated. "Katie, I'm not going to get involved with her. She's not really my type."

"Good," I said, relieved. "Because she's a real bitch."

Oliver laughed. "She didn't seem that bad. But I'll take your word for it." He looped an arm around my waist and pulled me toward him. "So, did you talk to Chris?"

Shit.

"Yeah," I replied with a few nods. "Ol, I'm going to move in with him." I averted my eyes from his down toward the lines between the floor tiles.

"When?" was all he asked.

"Soon," I replied, gathering the courage to catch his gaze – not that it mattered, because I couldn't read it.

"OK," he said. "I think it's for the best."

"You do?"

"Sure." Oliver nodded. "It has to be done at one point or another. It'll make Chris happy. And it'll give you two time to adjust before you get married."

"Yeah," I said blankly. "You're right." I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder.

"Rough day?"

"Brutal," I replied.

He smiled sympathetically and tugged on my ponytail. "You hungry?" he asked. "I found some pancake mix in the pantry."

I stared at him. "Oliver, that's been in there for years."

Oliver blinked. "Take out it is, then."

**Oliver's point of view**

So Katie was moving out. I knew it was coming, but now that it was finally happening, I wasn't sure what to do but try to be happy for her.

The problem was, I didn't know if moving out was what she really wanted. Just a few days ago, she'd told me she didn't want to be without me.

Funny how those words weren't in the context I'd hoped for.

By Friday evening, things had settled back to their normal routine. Katie was out on a date with Chris, and I was feeling too moody to go out for drinks with the team. Instead, I went for a walk in the Diagon Alley area to scope out the latest Nimbus series broomstick.

As I left the quidditch shop, a pair of voices called my name.

I turned and spotted Katie's mom and dad waving at me from a table at a café patio. I smiled and fought my way through the evening crowd to greet them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bell," I said as I reached their table. "How are you?"

"Good good," Mr. Bell replied. "How good to see you. Great game the other day, impeccable saves you made."

"Oh, you know it's all in a day's work," I said. "I'm just hoping we can stay on this win streak for the playoffs."

"You'd better," Mr. Bell warned. "I've already got tickets on reserve." I grinned and nodded.

"We'll do our best."

"So Oliver," Mrs. Bell started. "Has Katie been dragging you through Hell with all her wedding plans?"

"Eh, she hasn't been too much of a bridezilla," I said, shrugging a shoulder. "But she doesn't get me too involved. I'm not exactly a wedding planning type of guy."

"Yes, when I spoke with Chris the other day, he told me he'd rather be trampled by a Hippogriff than help with the planning."

Wow, Chris is a prick. "Yeah, I guess it can be pretty stressful," I said politely.

"Well, I suppose it's more of a woman's thing anyway," Mrs. Bell said. "If men planned the weddings, they'd be held in bars with beer instead of cake."

"You're damn right," Mr. Bell said as I laughed.

"What about you, Oliver?" Mrs. Bell continued. "Any wedding for you in the future?"

Yeah, when your daughter gets rid of the moron.

"Nah," I said, shaking my head for emphasis. "Not yet."

"Not even a girl?" Mr. Bell asked. "Come on, I bet you've got a whole line of brides waiting for you."

"Well, that may be so, but I don't really have any interest in any of them," I said.

I was starting to feel incredibly awkward. I couldn't exactly tell them that the only person I had any interest in was their own daughter, who happened to be engaged.

"Well, I'm sure you'll meet someone someday," Mrs. Bell said kindly. "Or maybe you'll have some spark with someone you already know."

Oh dear Merlin, kill me now.

"Maybe," I managed say with another shrug. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your dinner. It was good seeing you."

Mr. and Mrs. Bell bid me goodbye and I made my way back home, to an empty flat that Katie didn't come home to that evening.

**Katie's point of view**

When I came home from Chris's on Saturday morning, Oliver was reading the paper at the kitchen table.

"Morning," I called out as I tossed my purse on a chair.

"Morning," he replied, not looking up. I stopped en route to the cupboards to look at him.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

He set the paper down and looked up. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well."

"Oh," I said, sitting down in a chair across from him. I knew Oliver all too well to fall for such a lie, but I assumed that whatever it was that was bothering him would be solved soon. I mean, it's not like Oliver had too rough of a life. "Well, I know something that will cheer you up," I said happily.

"And what would that be?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"You get to come with me to my dress fitting," I announced dramatically. I grinned at his less-than-thrilled expression. "Come on, it won't be that bad. And I need your opinion. I need to make sure it looks perfect."

"Katie," he sighed. "I'm sure it'll look great."

"But I need your opinion!" I insisted.

"Why don't you take Alicia and Angelina?" he asked. "They're women."

"They were with me when I picked it out," I told him. "But I want you to be there for the final fitting. It's crucial. Besides, you're a guy. Your idea of what looks good is different than what a woman thinks."

"How so?"

"Well, women think whatever is fashionable is what looks good," I explained. "But men prefer sexy. You know, things that are tighter and more form-fitting. And shorter."

"You're going to be wearing a tight, short wedding dress?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "Of course not. I just… I just want you to be there, OK?"

Oliver nodded. "All right. But can I see you in a short dress anyway?"

I threw a spoon at him.

**Oliver's point of view**

Later that afternoon, Katie dragged me to the bridal shop where her dress was on hold. As she disappeared to try it on, I sat in a chair, looking around at the overwhelming sea of white around me. On the other side of the store, a younger girl was trying on dresses for her friends.

"Oh, that one makes your hips look big," one of them said. "Tyler wouldn't like it. It's got too much lace."

"But it's designer!" the bride-to-be whined. "I think it's sexy."

"Sure, if you think having looking like a hot dog is sexy.”

Oh, how blessed I am to be a man.

"Well," I heard Katie's voice call out. "What do you think?"

I turned my attention from the group to look at Katie.

…Have mercy.

Her dress was strapless, fitted from the waist up, until it flowed away from her body at the hem. Katie spun in circles a few times. "Well?" she repeated.

"You look… good," I managed. "You look really good."

That's the understatement of the year.

Katie's expression fell. "Just good?"

"Katie, you look fantastic," I said seriously. "I mean it. You look amazing."

"Really?" She still looked hesitant. "What do you think of the back?" She turned around.

I might hyperventilate.

"It's nice," I said. "I mean, it looks good."

Katie turned around to face me and beamed. "Do you think Chris will want to marry me in this?"

"He'd be stupid not to."

Katie continued to beam as she gazed at me. Neither of us said anything for what felt like an hour. Now this is what one would call a 'moment.'

"Oh, just look at you!" I jumped a little as the lady who owned the shop began to fawn over Katie. "Honey, you look beautiful!" She turned to look at me. "You're a very lucky man."

"Er, I'm not-"

"Oliver's just a friend," Katie told the lady.

"Oh, yes, that's right," the lady said. "I've seen you two in the paper before."

"Er-"

"Well," Katie said, sensing the awkward situation. "I think the dress is perfect. I'm ready to take it home."

"Oh, how wonderful!" the woman gushed. "You go take it off and I'll go ring it up." She hurried off and I turned back to Katie, who was studying herself in the mirror.

"This is it," she said softly. "I mean, this is really it."

I sensed an emotional Katie moment approaching, so I stood. She fell quiet, and I could tell tears were forming behind her eyes. "Come on," I said, leading her into a fitting room.

We sat down on the tiny bench and the water works started. She wasn't sobbing or hysterical; instead, the tears fell quietly. Noticing they were about to fall onto her dress, I dabbed at them with the hem of my t-shirt.

"Sorry," Katie whispered. "I just… I just can't believe that this is happening. I'm getting married, Oliver."

"Yeah, I know. You're just nervous," I assured her.

"But I mean, this is a lifetime thing," she went on. "This is… this is the biggest commitment I'll ever make."

"Well," I said carefully. "Do you think this is the right choice?"

Her silence scared me. Finally, she spoke. "I honestly don't think so."


	7. Stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver admits he doesn't think Katie should marry Chris. Katie has no idea what to do.

** Oliver's point of view **

"What?" was about all I could manage.

"I just… I just don't know anymore," Katie said. "I love Chris, I really do, but maybe not as much as I should."

Finally.

I guess I shouldn't be thrilled right now, when Katie's having an epiphany.

"Katie," I started. "Just the other day, you announced you were moving in with Chris. Now you don't want to even marry him? …When did you decide all this?" I asked.

"It's been on my mind for a while," Katie replied. "I mean, maybe I'm just nervous. Maybe I'm just being silly and dramatic. Maybe I'm just stressed... But it just seems like Chris and I just aren't on the same page anymore."

If you ask me, those two were never even in the same book.

"So, what are you going to do?" I asked.

Katie shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I mean, I think I just need to grit my teeth and keep going."

"Katie, if you don't want to marry Chris, you shouldn't. If you're even the least bit hesitant, you shouldn't risk making such a big mistake."

"I want to marry Chris," she said confidently. Dammit. "I really do," she went on. "I just… don't like the way things are going."

"Then maybe you should at least wait a little," I suggested. I was running out of proper advice, but it seemed like I was saying the right things.

"But we're so close!" Katie said. "Maybe once this whole wedding thing is all over, things will go back to normal."

Except Katie's idea of "normal" was completely screwed up. "Normal" is when she and I are together, wrestling over the latest edition of Quidditch Monthly. "Normal" is when Katie begs me to go on an ice cream run at 10 p.m. "Normal" is when Katie comes in my room at 7:00 in the morning to jump on my bed. "Normal" is when I use Katie's toothbrush and she uses my razor. "Normal" is when we attempt to cook dinner and end up eating half of it out of the pan before it's even ready.

"Normal" doesn't include Chris, in any way, shape, or form.

Am I a little bitter? ...Nah.

"Wait," Katie suddenly said. "What did you mean, marrying Chris is a big mistake?"

Well, obviously.

"I mean, if you're not sure about him, don't marry him," I explained. "At least not yet, not until you really are sure."

"What about you?" Katie asked. "I mean, I know you don't exactly get along with Chris, but you think he's an OK guy at least, right?"

I think my eye may begin to twitch.

"Well, he's not necessarily a bad guy," I started.

"But?" Katie urged.

"But, I'm not sure he's exactly right for you." An awkward silence fell over us and I glanced at Katie, who seemed to be staring off into space. "I mean, it just seems as if the two of you always have little problems," I went on.

"But don't all couples?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, occasionally," I said. "But not all the time."

"But if you liked Chris, you'd be telling me to try to make things work with him," Katie pointed out. "Oliver, why don't you like him?"

Maybe it was Katie in her dress. Maybe it was my ongoing frustration that had accumulated over time. Maybe it was the three cups of coffee I'd had earlier that morning. Whatever it was, it was enough. Call it courage, or call it truth, I was finally fed up with biting my tongue.

"Katie," I said calmly. "Chris is a jerk. He's rude, he's selfish, and he doesn't treat you nearly as well as you deserve."

Katie didn't respond right away, not that I'd expected her to.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you felt that way?" she finally asked.

"Because it wasn't my place to, Katie," I said. "I was just trying to be happy for you."

"But you're my best friend!" she exclaimed. "You're supposed to tell me if you think my boyfriend's a prick!"

"No," I said, still keeping my voice calm. "I'm supposed to keep watch over you and throw him through a wall if he hurts you."

Katie was frustrated. But despite the tense situation, the one thing I'd noticed was that she wasn't necessarily defending Chris. Realizing this must have increased my courage, because I pointed it out.

"Maybe you don't love Chris as much as you think you do," I said. "Because the two of you just aren't right for each other. Maybe deep down, you know that. Maybe you're just desperate to make it work, because you think it'll be easier." 

I hit a nerve. Big time.

Katie stood, her eyes narrowing at me. Boy, if looks could kill, I'd be six feet under.

"Oliver, who are you to tell me how I feel?" she demanded.

"Oh, I don't know," I said, my tone becoming slightly sarcastic. "Just your best friend."

"Oliver, just because _you_ don't like Chris doesn't mean _I_ don't love him."

"Katie, you just told me you didn't think you wanted to marry him. You just told me you don't think you love him as much as you should."

Katie was stuck. She knew it, I knew it. I had her, but she was way too stubborn to admit it.

"I just," she started, struggling for words. "I just… can't figure out how this got to be so complicated." Her expression was no longer angry. She was defeated. She was lost, and I wasn't sure how or where to direct her.

In a perfect world, or at least Oliver Wood world, I'd advise her to dump Chris and go for the quidditch star.

…I watch too much Muggle television.

Katie stood in front of me, looking sad and lost, which didn't make much sense with her wedding gown. We were making no progress here, and we were both feeling depressed.

"Why don't I love Chris?" she finally asked softly.

"Maybe you're just starting to realize that you two aren't as compatible as you wanted yourselves to be," I repeated. "Your relationship wasn't as involved in the beginning, so you didn't really have any conflict or differences. Maybe you're realizing your differences right on time."

"But this will put me right back to the start," Katie said.

"What do you mean?"

"If I… broke this all off with Chris, I'd be back to square one. And I mean, we've already come so far. And what if things turn out all right once we get married?"

"Katie, getting married won't solve all your problems," I said reasonably. "You'll just end up getting married to everything you don't want. You deserve to be happy. You shouldn't settle for Chris, just because he's convenient for you."

And finally, Katie smiled. It was a sad smile, but it was something. "How'd you get so smart?" she asked, moving closer to sit on my lap. Beneath the mass of white fabric, I looped an arm around her.

"Some people are just born with wit and good looks," I told her. "It's hard work."

She rolled her eyes at me, then stared sadly at the floor. "Oliver, what do I do?"

"I don't think I'm the person to tell you that," I said.

"But you don't think I should marry Chris."

I sighed. "No, I don't," I admitted. "I've never liked him. I thought maybe he'd grow on me, but he's just not the right guy for you, Katie."

"So I shouldn't marry him."

"…Not if it were up to me."

A sad silence fell among us. Katie was sad because she wasn't sure what to do, and I was sad because I didn't know how to help her. We were both stuck, for different reasons, but at least we were on the same page.


	8. Weekend Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie apologizes to Chris for her erratic behavior, but makes weekend plans with Oliver.

** Katie's point of view **

Oliver and I left the dress shop empty-handed and without much spirit. He had pretty much told me he hated Chris, and I had pretty much decided I didn't love Chris anymore. But there was still a part of me that wanted to love him.

Oliver was right, though – I couldn't expect to just marry Chris to get my happy ending. Marriage would take work, no matter what, and marrying Chris would take a lot of patience. But we'd come so far. We've had so many good times together. I had more memories with Chris than anyone else, except Oliver.

Speaking of Oliver, he must have recognized my need for distraction, because he decided to take me to Fred and George's shop for cheering up.

"Katie, dearest," George said as we entered. "We were just thinking about you."

"I don't think I want to know why," I said dryly.

"Well, we were talking about weddings," Fred started.

"And how fun it is to dance at them," George finished.

"And then we thought-"

"Wouldn't it be fun to dance during a wedding?"

"You know, down the aisle."

I eyed them with as much intimidation I could manage. "Don't you dare," I said through gritted teeth. The twins sighed.

"We were afraid you'd say that," Fred sighed. "Perhaps we'll give it a go at Oliver's wedding. Oliver, when are you getting married?"

"Last I checked, I'm not," Oliver answered.

"Maybe it's time we found Oliver a special someone," George suggested.

"I don't need a special someone," Oliver said hotly. 

The twins shook their heads in unison. "Poor bloke," Fred said sadly. "In denial." He draped an arm around Oliver's shoulder. "Maybe someday." Fred batted his eyelashes at Oliver, who pushed him away in disgust.

I laughed and shook my head at them as I spotted a familiar owl hovering above me with a folded note. Chris.

_ "Katie,”  _ the note read. _“I want to see you. You can spare an hour or two for me. Please? Meet me in an hour at our usual restaurant."_

I sighed. Dreading a date with your fiancé weeks before your wedding is probably not a good sign.

I met Chris at the restaurant and stared at the tablecloth as the waiter poured me a glass of wine.

"How'd your fitting go? Chris asked.

"It was good," I said quietly. Sensing that I was preoccupied, Chris sighed audibly.

"Katie. What's going on?"

"Nothing," was my instinctive reply. "I'm just-"

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

"Katie," Chris started, putting on his serious expression. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Lying. Being distant. Avoiding me. Jerking me around."

"Jerking you around?"

"Yes, jerking me around. One day, you ignore me. The next, you're fine. Then you're mad at me. Then you agree to move in with me. Now you're avoiding me."

I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his. Suddenly, I felt bad for him. Maybe it wasn't fair to be treating him so bad. His eyes weren't angry. They were sad and frustrated. I felt guilty. After all, all Chris ever did was care about me. No one else loved me like he did.

That's when I decided that I'd built so much up with Chris, that it'd be stupid to let it all go. Chris and I were a couple, and even though we didn't always see eye-to-eye, we loved each other. And these days, if you pass up on love, you don't get many second chances.

"I'm sorry," I finally said. "Really, I am." I gazed at him apologetically. "Chris, I've just been freaking out over this wedding. There's just so much going on, it's driving me crazy. And sometimes… sometimes, I just don't know how to act. And then you want to spend time together, and I just… I get overwhelmed."

Chris reached across the table to hold my hand. "I understand," he said. "And I'm sorry for always annoying you. I just… I'm just so excited about marrying you."

The romantic in me melted a little.

"I know," I said. "I guess all of the stress is just getting to my head."

"Well, I wish I could help you clear your head this weekend," Chris said. "But I've got to go out of town."

"What for?"

"I'm going fishing with my dad," he said. "You know, a father-son weekend before I get hitched."

"Oh."

I shouldn't be relieved. I was supposed to be upset. I was supposed to be worrying about how much I was going to miss him. But instead, I was flat-out relieved.

"Well, have fun," I said. "I'm sure it'll be nice, spending some time with your dad."

Chris nodded. "So what are you doing this weekend?"

I knew what he was thinking. Would I be spending the weekend with Oliver? But I was trying to be the good fiancée here. Tell him what he wants to hear, Katie. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.

"No, Oliver's going out of town or something," I lied with a shrug. "I guess I'll just get some more wedding plans taken care of. Time's running out, and I still need to pick out silverware."

Chris looked relieved as he leaned over the table to kiss me. "You're right," he said. "We're going to be married in less than two months."

An hour later, I kissed Chris goodnight on the front porch and watched him leave. As I shut the door and locked it, I found Oliver on the couch, flipping through a quidditch magazine.

"How was dinner?" he asked.

"Same as usual.”

"So what did you tell Chris?" he asked, sitting up.

"Nothing really," I replied with a shrug. "He's going out of town this weekend. Fishing with his dad."

"But what did you tell him?" Oliver repeated. "About you know, postponing the wedding?"

"I didn't bring any of that up," I said, sitting down next to him. "I mean, I think all of the stress is just getting to me. I was overreacting. You know, the whole wearing-the-wedding-dress emotion thing."

"Katie," Oliver said reasonably. "Just hours ago, you said you didn't want to marry Chris."

Ah, shit. I'd almost forgotten that Oliver had said he basically hated Chris.

"I said I wasn't sure," I explained carefully. "Now, I'm sure. Like I said, my nerves have just been getting the best of me."

Please please please, be understanding, Oliver.

Oliver studied me for a few moments. Finally, he let out a sigh and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "Whatever you say," he breathed.

Thank Merlin.

A silence hovered over us, and I eyed the carpet.

"So," Oliver finally said. "What are you going to do this weekend since Chris won't be around?"

"No idea," I replied with a shrug. "I guess I'll do a bit of random wedding planning. What are you doing? No match this weekend."

"I just found out I have a wedding to go to," Oliver said.

"What? Who's getting married?"

"My cousin?" Oliver said. "I think. I don't really know. Some lass I'm apparently related to."

"And you're just now planning on going?"

"Well, I think my mum mentioned it to me a while ago," Oliver said with a shrug. "I just forgot."

Typical male.

"Where's it at?" I asked.

"Glasgow," Oliver replied. "So I'll be out of town too."

"Well, who are you taking?"

"What?"

"Who's your wedding date?"

"I don't have one."

Merlin. For being such a perfect man, Oliver sure is lost.

"What do you mean you don't have one?" I demanded. "Oliver, you need a wedding date. You can't just show up single."

"Why not?"

"Because," I insisted. "You're Oliver Wood. You're supposed to have women crawling all over you. In fact, you should have a girl on each arm."

"Katie," Oliver laughed. "Women crawling all over me? You know very well I'm not like that."

“Everyone needs to get a little slutty every now and then.”

"Well, it's a little late now," Oliver said with a shrug. "I have to leave Friday, which is only two days away."

I sighed and rested my head in his lap, letting my eyes fall shut. "You're impossible."

"Better than being easy, like you."

My eyes flew open. "What?!"

Oliver grinned down at me. "I said your hair looks nice."

I continued to glare at him. "No wonder you don't have a date. No woman would put up with such horrible treatment."

"You put up with it quite well."

"Only because I have to. But you're right. I do put up with a lot from you."

Oliver rolled his eyes at me. "Right. Because I never put up with shit from you."

"You don't," I said, grinning up at him.

Oliver snorted. "Yeah, right."

Then an idea popped into my head. "Well, since I put up with you so well," I said slowly. "Maybe I should accompany you to the wedding."

Oliver's expression turned serious. "Do you really want to?"

"Well sure," I replied, sitting up. "Why not? I don't have anything else to do."

"All right," Oliver said. "Like you said, everyone needs to get slutty every now and then." I smacked him with his own magazine.

At least I hadn't really lied to Chris. Oliver really was going out of town. The only difference was that I'd be going with him.


	9. Down the Aisle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Oliver catch up with Oliver's parents before heading to the wedding, where they steal the spotlight.

**Oliver’s point of view**

Katie and I left Friday for my parents’ house in Glasgow. The wedding was that night, but we’d planned to drop our bags off at their house with plans to spend the night there.

Waiting for Katie to get ready was always a spectacle. She was so disorganized and indecisive, it usually took her hours.

“Katie!” I called out. “We need to get going. We have to stop by my Mum and Dad’s first, remember?”

“I’m coming!” she called from her bedroom.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Katie emerged from the hallway in a pair of high heels that seemed to add an extra five inches to her height. She was also wearing a fitted dark blue dress that hugged her curves.

“How do I look?” she asked, spinning in circles.

Merlin, help me. I held my breath when I saw the back of the dress, which dipped low to show her bare back.

“You look great,” I said, rising to my feet. If I stared any longer, I’d need to hop back in the shower. “Now can we go?”

Katie rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she sighed. “Just let me get my bag.” She disappeared into her bedroom before she returned and took my arm, ready to apparate. “Shall we?”

**Katie’s point of view**

“Katie!” A familiar voice exclaimed as Oliver and I appeared in the Wood family’s living room. Mrs. Wood had pulled me into a hug before I could even get my bearings. I hugged her back and grinned at her. “It’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed. “I was so excited when Oliver said you’d be coming.”

She took my bag and set it to the side and I couldn’t help but laugh at Oliver, who seemed to have gone forgotten by his own mother. Mrs. Wood was one of my favorite people, ever since childhood when my family used to live next door. My parents had to move during my second year at Hogwarts, and I’d missed seeing the Wood family all the time.

“Tell me everything,” Mrs. Wood said, motioning toward a seat at the kitchen island. “I want to hear all about the wedding plans. I trust you got our RSVP?”

“Of course,” I replied. “The planning is going well. Everything’s just about done, I just have a few little details to wrap up.”

Though Mrs. Wood had become like a second mother to me, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was having second thoughts about getting married.

Oliver cleared his throat loudly and I grinned.

“Oh Oliver!” Mrs. Wood exclaimed. “I forgot you were there.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and took the seat next to me at the counter. “Way to look after your own son, Mum. I’m the starting Keeper for a pro team and you’ve replaced me with this girl.” I kicked a foot out toward him and he shrugged innocently.

“Oh honey, you know I’m just so excited to see Katie. You rarely bring her by anymore. By the way Katie, you look stunning. Really, I can never get over how beautiful you’ve become. You used to be such a little tomboy and now you’re just such a sight.”

See? I told you I adored this woman.

“Thank you,” I laughed, showing Mrs. Wood my heels. “It’s nice to get all dressed up. You look wonderful too, by the way. That shade of green is perfect on you.”

“Don’t talk her up too much,” a new voice said from around the corner. “She’ll leave me for the handsome new gardener.”

Mr. Wood appeared, straightening his tie. “Oh honey, stop,” Mrs. Wood said. She turned to wink at me. “We hired a new landscaper. He’s so dashing. If only I were 30 years younger.”

“See what I mean?” Mr. Wood said. I laughed.

“Mrs. Wood would be crazy to step out on you,” I said to Mr. Wood, who placed a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s great to see you, Katie m’dear,” he said. “How are your parents?”

“They’re well. Nothing new with them, though I think Dad’s really enjoying retirement.”

“Ah yes well, deservedly so.”

Oliver interrupted us with an impatient grunt. “Can’t you go five minutes without being the center of attention?” I teased. Oliver gave me a look and I smirked at him.

“Oliver, son, great match the other day,” Mr. Wood said, clapping Oliver on the back.

I couldn’t help but beam at them. The Woods were so proud of Oliver and his accomplishments. He had worked so hard to reach this point, and it made me so happy to see them all so pleased.

Oliver and his dad began discussing quidditch tactics, so Mrs. Wood returned her attention to me. “So Katie,” she said. “Do tell me about the wedding. Did you get your dress?”

“I did,” I said, smiling. “Picked it up the other day. It fits like a glove.”

“Oh honey, a garbage bag would look good on you. You can wear anything,” Mrs. Wood said. “And tell me about your fiancé. Chris, isn’t it? How’s he?”

“He’s well,” I said, doing my best to sound cheerful. “I think he’s eager to get everything over with.”

“When will you be moving in with him?”

“Right after the wedding. He wants to move to the outskirts of the city. I’m not so convinced, but we’ll see.”

Mrs. Wood smiled. “He’ll soon learn that a happy wife makes a happy life.”

“It’s true!” Mr. Wood chimed in, breaking from his conversation with Oliver. “Life’s a hell of a lot easier if you just give her what she wants.”

I laughed. “All I want is a townhouse in the city,” I said. “I think I’ll convince Chris eventually.”

“He’d better learn quick,” Mr. Wood said. “Otherwise, he’ll lose his wife to the gardener too.” Mrs. Wood whacked him with a newspaper and he checked his watch.

“Oh, we’d better get going,” he said. “The wedding’s set to begin in twenty minutes.”

**Oliver’s point of view**

Katie and I apparated to the wedding after my parents, landing at some sort of mansion surrounded by sprawling gardens.

“Well shit,” Katie muttered. “I’d better step my game up. My wedding’s nothing compared to this.”

I didn’t respond, but instead motioned toward the rows of white chairs that had been set up in rows behind the mansion. Tiny fairies buzzed through the air and lights twinkled everywhere.

“Amazing,” I heard Katie breathe. “So pretty.”

Several guests had already arrived and taken their seats. Katie and I walked slowly toward the rows and I could see people looking at us and whispering.

“Oliver Wood!” I heard someone say. “And that girl he’s always with. They’re actually here!”

“Look at her!” another voice said. “Wow!”

“Look at him! He’s even dreamier in person.”

It wasn’t exactly the vision I’d had for walking down the aisle with Katie, but since it was as close as I was going to get to it, I couldn’t help but enjoy it.

We took seats next to my parents and Katie leaned in to whisper to me. “Everyone is looking at us,” she said.

“That’s because you look hot,” I whispered back. She smirked. “It’s the dress. Makes my boobs look way bigger.”

She seemed to catch me as my eyes confirmed her last statement, because she nudged me in the side. Hard. “Ow!”

“You deserve it!”

“You can’t just casually mention your boobs and expect me not to look!” I hissed.

“We’re at a wedding! This isn’t the place to be a pervert!”

“How am I the pervert? You were literally just talking about your boobs!”

“That wasn’t an invitation to look!”

“Everyone else is looking too!”

“They’re looking at both of us! They think we’re a couple!”

“So? Let them. They always think that. Clearly, they’re wrong since you won’t even let me look at your boobs!”

“Children!” My mother was glaring at us. “Will you hush already? The ceremony is starting!”


	10. Dance With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Oliver let their hair down at the wedding reception.

**Katie’s point of view**

The wedding ceremony was stunning. There were twinkling lights and a string quartet, and Oliver’s cousin looked amazing in a designer wedding gown. When Mrs. Wood introduced me to her, she was so bubbly and kind. I hope I’m that happy on my wedding day.

When the ceremony ended, a cocktail hour began in the gardens, though there wasn’t much food to go around. As a result, Oliver and I filled up on champagne with empty stomachs, which was the ultimate poor decision.

As we waited for dinner, I finished my third glass of champagne and watched a group of drunk groomsmen toss coins into a koi pond. Oliver had been cornered by a group of fans who insisted on taking photos with him. I snorted as I watched a young girl grab Oliver’s tie and pull him closer for a photo. He looked so uncomfortable, I felt it was time to save him.

I made my way across the gardens to the tent, where dinner appeared nearly ready. I approached the small group that had surrounded Oliver outside the tent and maneuvered my way through them.

“Katie!” Oliver exclaimed as he saw me. He pulled himself away from a pissed off brunette and took my hand. “Sorry everyone,” he added to the remaining fans. “Must get going.”

I led Oliver past the bride and groom, who were still posing for photos, and past Mr. and Mrs. Wood, who had seemed to be watching Oliver’s impromptu fan meet and greet with pride and joy. “Thank you,” Oliver sighed as we reached a quiet portion of the gardens. “Does it ever end?”

“It’ll end when you suddenly become ugly and bad at quidditch,” I said.

“Nevermind. That’ll never happen.”

I rolled my eyes and released Oliver’s hand so that I could turn to peek at the tent. “How much longer are we supposed to wait? It’ll be breakfast time before dinner is ready.”

Oliver dug around in his pocket for a moment before he brandished a handful of brightly wrapped candies. I stared at him suspiciously.

“What?” he said. “They’re just chocolates.”

“Did you get them from the twins?”

“Yeah, they gave them to me last time we- Oh.”

I shook my head and laughed at him. “Ol, it’s been years. You still don’t know better than to accept food from the Weasleys?”

“You’re right.” Oliver pocketed the candy again. “My fans would’ve been devastated if I’d turned into a canary tonight.”

**Oliver’s point of view**

It felt like years before we were sitting down to dinner. By that point, Katie and I had both consumed several glasses of champagne and Katie was dramatically declaring that she was famished.

“So what’d you think of the ceremony?” she asked. She’d already finished her own plate and was picking food off of mine.

“It was fine,” I shrugged. “Quite exciting when that Niffler tried to steal the bride’s ring.”

“Where’d that even come from?”

“I think Nifflers like to hide out in gardens, maybe.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“I have no idea.”

Katie snorted.

I glanced around, trying to avoid eye contact with the others at our table. My parents were next to me, discussing plans for remodeling the house. Across from us, two girls were whispering and giggling while another couple seemed to be bickering. The bride and groom were seated at their table, looking cozy. I suddenly felt very relieved I hadn’t had to come to this wedding by myself.

“I thought the ceremony was lovely,” Katie said, reaching for a potato from my plate with her fork. I pushed the plate closer to her so she could reach. “I hope my wedding is this nice.” She let out a drunken cackle. “If I even have a wedding.”

Our conversation was interrupted by music and I felt relieved that we wouldn’t have to continue it. I was out of things to say when it came to Katie’s upcoming wedding, and it seemed the champagne was getting to her head. Obviously I didn’t want her to get married, but it seemed she couldn’t break things off with Chris.

“Finally!” Katie exclaimed, shoveling a final bite of food into her mouth. “Let’s dance!”

I hated dancing. As coordinated as I was on a broomstick, moving my feet to any sort of rhythm didn’t come naturally to me. But there was no way Katie would let me sit and mind my own business, so I followed her begrudgingly toward the crowd, where others had started dancing.

We danced for several songs before the music shifted to something slow and romantic. Katie eyed me for a moment, her expression appearing both amused and hesitant.

“What?” I asked.

“Are you going to ask me to dance?”

I wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her closer. “I didn’t know I had to ask.”

“I was just making sure you didn’t want to dance with one of them.”

“Who?”

Katie snorted and draped her arms around my neck. “Ol, that same group of girls has been hovering near us since we got here.”

I looked up and spotted a group of young women standing nearby. Their eyes widened when they saw me staring, and one flipped her hair. “Merlin,” I muttered. “What is with them?”

“We’re at a wedding, Ol. The ultimate setting for romance. Everyone here is desperate for it.”

“You don’t seem too desperate.”

“My relationship is hanging by a thread,” Katie said, managing a dry laugh. “The last thing I want is to be thinking about romance.”

Personally, I found it hard not to think about it when Katie was wearing that dress.

I could feel the group of women’s stares burning a hole into my head, so I pressed a hand into Katie’s lower back. The satin of her dress was smooth and she smelled like vanilla. She rested her head against my shoulder.

“Thanks for coming with me,” I said.

“Thanks for keeping me distracted this weekend.”

“You’ll figure it all out, you know. With Chris.”

I could feel her sigh against me. “I don’t want to think about him. Not right now.”

Fair enough. If Katie didn’t want to discuss him, I certainly wasn’t going to press the issue. I selfishly would rather have all her attention, even just for the evening.

“By the way,” Katie said, grinning up at me. “I forgot to tell you, you look really nice tonight.”

“Just tonight?”

She sighed. “I was trying to give you a compliment. Can you not act like a wanker, just this once?”

“OK, OK, don’t get your underwear in a bunch.”

“I’m not wearing any.”

This woman will be the death of me.

The couple next to us heard Katie and stopped dancing to stare at us with horrified expressions. Katie and I both erupted into a fit of laughter. “I’m only joking!” she called after the couple as they shifted toward the other side of the dance floor.

“Er, excuse me?” a voice said over the music. Katie and I both turned to face a man who was facing us, his hands shoved casually in his pockets. “Would you care if I cut in?”

Yes. I’d care very much. Katie smiled at me and released her grip on me.

“I suppose one dance couldn’t hurt,” she said, taking a step back. She squeezed my hand and I decided this wasn’t the time for jealousy. If I’d already accepted the fact that Katie was going to marry Chris, I could accept the notion that other men wanted to dance with her. She wasn’t mine to control.

I returned to our dinner table and sat quietly, determined to avert my eyes from Katie and that other bloke. I began going over quidditch plays in my mind to remain distracted. We did have an important match next week and my focus should be on more than my miserable love life. We were in second place, meaning we’d be in the playoffs if we kept winning.

Just as I was thinking about passing strategy, Katie reappeared, standing in front of me. I looked up at her and she grinned, raising an unopened bottle of champagne. “Look,” she said proudly. “I nicked it from the wait staff.” She reached for my hand and pulled me up. “Let’s go forget about all our problems.”


	11. You're My Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Too much champagne sparks a romantic moment between Katie and Oliver.

**Oliver’s point of view**

Katie pulled me outside the tent back toward the gardens. The sun had set completely and I couldn’t help but notice how nice the stars looked in the clear sky. It was something I missed living in London.

We passed several clusters of people, couples locking lips and a drunk man who seemed to be looking for his lost wallet. Katie finally seemed to decide she was content with a secluded area of the garden and took a seat on a small bench near a bubbling fountain. I sat next to her and watched in amusement as she attempted to pop open the champagne bottle. The cork landed in the fountain and the loud pop sent a flock of fairies scattering, leaving us completely alone. The only sounds were the fountain and faint music playing inside the tent in the distance.

I watched Katie take a long drink from the bottle and raised an eyebrow at her. She grinned and passed it to me.

“You know, if you really think about it, weddings are kind of ridiculous,” she said, turning to face me. I took a drink from the bottle.

“How so?”

“It’s all so… gaudy and performative,” Katie said, gesturing wildly. “Look at this. A fairy garden, a mansion, designer suits and gowns. They’ve created a fairytale setting which is such an illusion.”

“Kate, you were just going on about how stunning this is an hour ago,” I laughed.

“I do think it’s stunning,” she said. “But it’s also so frivolous. We spend so much time and money on one night, just so our friends and family will think we’re special.”

The conversation had taken a dark turn and I knew it was a result of Katie’s attitude regarding her own wedding. I watched her take another swig from the bottle and smiled as she hiccupped.

“Take it easy there,” I laughed, prying the bottle from her fingers. “We don’t need a repeat of New Year’s Eve.”

“Do you think they’ll me back in The Leaky Cauldron yet?”

“I don’t think you’ll ever be welcome back there, Kate. Not after what you did.”

Katie tried to cross her legs and nearly fell off the bench. I grabbed her and pulled her against myself, resting an arm around her.

“Kate, you’re in a dress, you can’t do that.”

She ignored me. “Why do we need to have weddings to get married?” she said, intent on continuing her anti-wedding rant.

“You don’t,” I pointed out. “You could elope.”

“My mum would kill me.”

“Yeah, she would,” I agreed.

“This whole wedding thing has been a nightmare,” Katie said, resting her head on my shoulder. “It’s not even what I want. I don’t need to be surrounded by 300 people. I just want to get it all over with.” She closed her eyes and I immediately felt bad for her.

“It shouldn’t be this way,” I said quietly. “You should be thrilled about getting married.”

“I know.”

We sat in silence and I watched the garden lights flicker. I felt terrible. Mostly because I just wanted Katie to be happy, and partly because I didn’t know how to help her. Telling her not to marry Chris would be selfish on my part, but I also didn’t want her to make any regrettable decisions. I genuinely didn’t believe she was happy with Chris, but I also didn’t think it was my place to tell her what to do.

“Ol?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not supposed to marry Chris, am I?”

I wanted to tell her she was supposed to forget all about Chris. I wanted to say that she belonged with me. I wanted to make everything that was hurting her go away.

“Katie, it’s not my place to tell you that.”

“No!” she said, raising her voice, turning to face me with a serious expression. “Oliver, I need you to be honest with me.”

I hated when she called me Oliver.

“I am being honest with you. I can’t tell you whether or not you should marry someone. That decision has to be made by you.”

“But I don’t want to marry him. I just feel like I should.”

Her words were heavy, yet I think we both felt like a massive weight had been lifted.

“Why don’t you want to marry him?”

“Because it doesn’t feel right.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” she said, her voice heavy with exasperation. She fell quiet and I finished the bottle of champagne. “Because this isn’t how it’s supposed to feel. Chris is supposed to be the person I lean on. I need to be able to talk to him, to tell him anything. If I can’t open up to my own fiancé, how can I open up to anyone? He should be the person who always listens to me. He should be the one person who doesn’t judge me. He should want me to be who I am, and he should be happy when I’m happy. He’s supposed to be my person.”

I couldn’t disagree with her, but I also didn’t want it to seem like I was just looking for a reason to bash Chris. I knew she’d been disappointed when I revealed I didn’t like him, and didn’t want her to think I was being unfair. Not that Chris deserved any fairness or reasoning in my opinion.

“But instead, I always feel like I’m letting him down,” she continued. “I always feel like I can’t give him what he needs because there’s something wrong with me.”

“Katie, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you.”

“But that’s the way I feel when I’m with him. He makes me feel like a disappointment, but I don’t know if it’s all in my head.” A loud bout of laughter echoed from the tent. “I know he loves me. What I don’t know is why it doesn’t feel like it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t feel like myself when I’m with him. I feel like he’s always wanting me to be different and I hate that. He’s supposed to be my person. But instead, it’s always you. I always have to come to you. You’re always my person.”

“That’s because I know you better than anyone.”

“But don’t you think my own fiancé should be the one who knows me best?”

Bingo, Katie. Now wasn’t the time to be proving any points or proposing marriage, though.

“I think the person you marry should be the one person who makes you feel the most complete,” I said carefully. “They should be the one person who you can’t live without, and who you don’t want to change. They shouldn’t want to change you and should accept you for everything you are, and everything you’ll become.”

Katie smiled. “That’s awfully poetic of you, Ol.”

“I’m a modern Shakespeare.”

“But really,” Katie said, her green eyes turning serious again. “You really believe that?”

“Of course,” I replied. “The person you’re going to spend your life with should be the person who makes you feel the most comfortable in your own self.”

Katie fell quiet again and seemed to be thinking my words over. Maybe it was the scenery around us, with all its blossoming spring flowers and sparkling lights. Maybe it was the warm air and romantic music carrying from the tent. Maybe Katie had simply had too much champagne, or maybe something had finally clicked for her. All I know is she was suddenly kissing me and I wasn’t stopping her.

I rested one hand on her waist, the other gently on her cheek. She had one hand on my chest, the other wrapped around my neck. I felt her deepen the kiss and my grip on her waist tightened.

I knew it was wrong because I knew Katie wasn’t in the right state of mind. I knew she’d be upset with herself when she sobered up. But I’d also had enough champagne to ignore right from wrong.

I could feel Katie’s hand gripping the front of my suit tightly. It was uncomfortable, but I wasn’t about to make any effort to back away. I’d let her decide when to do that. When she finally did, her face hovered in front of mine for a moment.

Suddenly, she started giggling and I was unsure if I should laugh with her or go ahead and bury a grave for myself right there in the garden.

“Boy, I’ve really done it now,” she said between fits of laughter. I couldn’t help but smile at her joy, though the internal panic was still making me sweat. “What kind of person realizes their fiancé is a terrible match for them and then immediately snogs their friend?”

I felt relieved that she was laughing at herself, not me, but the confusion was still giving me a headache. Or maybe it was the alcohol.

Why wasn’t she angry with me? I’d always assumed she’d tear my skull off if I kissed her. Though I guess she was the one who kissed me first. But why wasn’t she screaming and crying and panicking at me?

“I can’t believe we really just did that,” Katie laughed, leaning against my shoulder. “Actually...” She sat up to catch my gaze. “I can’t believe it took us eighteen years to do that.”

“Wh-what?”

“Oh, come on,” she laughed. “We’ve been close all this time and you’ve never wondered what it’d be like if we got together?”

Nope. Never wondered. Not a day in my life.

“Of course I’ve wondered,” I tried to say as nonchalant as possible. I was too drunk to know if my expression was giving me away, but Katie was too drunk to notice anyway.

“I’m pretty sure Chris is convinced we’ve hooked up,” Katie whispered before a fit of giggles hit. “He hates when I sleep in your bed.”

“I can’t say I really blame him there, Kate. I wouldn’t be happy if my fiancée did that either.”

“But he’s so insecure about it!” she giggled. “Though I guess it’s hard for him to compare to a quidditch star. Poor bloke.”

Yeah, poor bloke.

“Angelina’s going to have a field day when I tell her about this.”

“Wait, you’re going to tell her?” I asked, suddenly feeling very concerned.

“I have to,” she laughed. “I can’t talk to you about how I snogged you. Oh, Angelina’s going to scream.”

“Scream?”

“She’s wanted us to get together all these years,” Katie revealed. “She’s always saying you and I have something no one else does. She thinks we belong together.”

Smart girl, that Angelina Weasley. I always knew I liked her.

A round of applause caught Katie’s attention and she turned to look toward the tent and gasped. “Sounds like they’re cutting the cake!” she exclaimed. She jumped to her feet, stumbled and nearly shattered an ankle in her heels.

“Careful!” I rushed to help her.

“Can I ride on your back?”

“Kate, you’re wearing a dress.”

She sighed dramatically. “Will you carry me?”

It was my turn to sigh dramatically. I bent down to scoop her up in my arms and began walking toward the tent, despite the wooziness the champagne had created in my head. Katie hummed and kicked her feet as they dangled over my arm and people turned to look at us.

“I’m so excited for cake,” she said happily, as if the events of the previous emotional half hour had never happened. “It’s the only part of weddings I really like.”


	12. Conflicted As Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Oliver share another passionate moment, causing even more confusion.

  
**Oliver's point of view**

After Katie had her fill of wedding cake, the crowd began to thin as guests began heading home. I looked around and realized my parents must have called it a night and returned home while we were busy jeopardizing our relationship in the garden. Turning to Katie, who was drunkenly swaying back and forth, I placed a gentle hand on her hip.

“Are you ready to head out?” I asked. “It’s past midnight.”

Katie nodded. “They won’t give me any extra cake,” she said loudly, frowning at the wait staff. “What a crock of sh-”

I took her arm and apparated back to my parents’ house.

My parents were already asleep when we landed in the living room. Katie was loudly humming some song and I placed a hand over her mouth.

“Shh! Mum and Dad are sleeping.”

“What are we, 16?” Katie giggled. “Oh, do you remember the time I snuck over here at 3:00 in the morning and we flew on your broom all the way to Aberdeen?”

“And we almost died?”

“Yes! That was so fun!”

Katie fell into a fit of giggles and I sighed. “Come on,” I said quietly. “Let’s get you to bed.”

I helped her up the stairs to the guest bedroom, where she sat on the bed and stared blankly at me. I’d been drunk with Katie plenty of times to know the routine. I fetched her a glass of water, then helped her take her shoes off and lie down, pulling the covers over her.

“You good?” I asked.

“Never better,” Katie declared.

“OK,” I laughed. “Goodnight, Kate.”

She didn’t respond, so I assumed she’d already passed out and returned to my own room. I kicked off my own shoes and wrestled my tie loose, trying to focus on my current tasks at hand opposed to what had happened earlier that night. Once I’d unbuttoned and removed my shirt, I kicked my pants off, shut off the light and crawled into my own bed.

I closed my eyes and, though I was still drunk, I was wide awake. The kiss replayed in my mind and I couldn’t stop fixating on the way it happened, the way it felt, the way Katie felt. The moment had felt like a dream, yet very real at the same time.

The adrenaline had me feeling as if I’d never sleep again. The moment had finally happened and, though I’d wanted it for so long, I had no idea what to make of it.

“Hey, Ol?”

I hadn’t even heard the door creak open.

“Yeah, Kate?”

“Can I sleep in here? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course.”

Through the darkness, I could hear her movement across the floor before I felt her slip into bed next to me. She cuddled up next to me, so I turned on my side to face her. She snuck one arm under my neck and the other rested against my ribs. Her hands were freezing cold and I winced for a moment. Once she’d made herself comfortable, I wrapped my arms around her. She was still wearing her dress, the fabric pulling tight against her skin as it had bunched beneath her.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked quietly.

“What?” I lifted my head up slightly from the pillow to peer at her, though I couldn’t see much of anything. “Of course not. Why would I be mad?”

“Because I snogged you in the gardens.” She snorted and started laughing wildly, so I placed a pillow over her face. Once she’d stopped laughing, she tossed the pillow to the floor. Through the darkness, I could sense her smile. “It sounds so ridiculous when I say it out loud like that.”

“I’m not mad,” I said. “I promise.”

“I’m sorry for being such a mess,” she continued. “I didn’t mean for all of this to happen.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said. “It’s OK.”

“It’s not though. Who does this? Who acts like this?”

“Crazy women, I assume.”

She pinched me and I yelped. “Shh! You’re going to wake up your mum and dad!” she giggled.

“You’re absolutely ridiculous,” I whispered. “And your hands are freezing.” She pressed her palms firmly against my bare chest.

“How are they now?”

“You’re really the worst.”

“You said I looked hot earlier.”

“The worst kind of hot.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means that your hands are ice cold and I’m going to hex you if you don’t move them.”

Her arms returned to their former spots around my neck and torso. We fell quiet and the silence nearly sent me into a panic attack.

“Are you sure you’re OK?” I finally asked. I was desperate to talk about what happened, though I knew it was useless while we were both drunk.

“I don’t know,” Katie replied quietly. She rested her head against my chest. “I feel more OK than I think I should, to be honest.”

“That’s good.”

“I don’t know if I’d say it’s good. I really don’t know what to say.”

“Can I make a suggestion?”

“Of course.”

“Maybe you should try focusing on what you feel, not what you should say or do.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. “I feel… as conflicted as ever.”

“Maybe you should sleep on it.”

“Maybe. I meant what I said earlier, though.”

“Which part?”

She sat up slightly, leaning on an elbow as she faced me. “All of it, really. But mostly the part about you being my person. I really meant that.”

“I know you did.”

“Ol, I’m really beginning to feel like it’d be a mistake to marry Chris.” About bloody time. “I love him, but not as much as I love my current life. I like living in our flat in the city. I like living with you. I like the sense of comfort I get in coming home to you every night.”

I couldn’t decide if the twisting feeling in my stomach was due to nerves or alcohol consumption. But despite the fact that Katie was saying all the things I’d been wanting to hear, my heart ached because I knew she was hurting.

“Katie, you don’t have to make any decisions right now,” I told her. “You can wait and think things through a little longer.”

“But I’m running out of time, Ol. I’m supposed to get married in a few weeks. But instead of counting down the days with excitement, I feel like I’m waiting on my execution.”

Her words should have made me feel better, but somehow, I think I felt worse.

“That’s a pretty bold statement, Kate. If that’s how you feel, I think you know what you need to do.”

“But how do I know all these feelings aren’t just temporary? What if I’m just getting cold feet and I’m acting and thinking irrationally?”

“I think that’s why you need to slow down and take some time to sort out your thoughts,” I said. “You need to look ahead, down the road, and decide if Chris is your ultimate vision.”

“I don’t like what I see when I envision my future with him,” she replied. “When I think about the future I want, it’s the same picture as my present. It’s you and me in our flat, eating takeout and fighting over who left the dishes in the sink. I like that future. I don’t want to let go of that.”

“I don’t want to let it go either, Kate.”

It happened again, but this time, there was little hesitation. Katie was kissing me and I had no defense. The kiss was more aggressive this time and our passion quickly turned to a frenzy of clingy hands and ragged breathing. Katie rolled on top of me and soon her legs were straddling my sides, my hands resting on the small of her back. Suddenly, I didn’t feel cold anymore.

I had everything I wanted, but still struggled to fully enjoy the moment. I knew she’d be upset with herself in the morning. I knew she’d be upset with me. I knew that too much champagne wasn’t a proper excuse for any of this, and I knew I couldn’t continue any of this in good conscience.

“Katie.”

We stopped. Katie didn’t say anything, but simply crawled off of me and returned to her spot next to me. She cuddled up next to me again and I waited for her to react.

Instead, we remained in silence and I eventually could hear her breathing shift. She snored lightly and I realized I’d been holding my breath. I exhaled and stared at her outline through the dark.

Even when you get what you want, you still want more.


	13. Mother Knows Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Wood has some thoughts on Katie and Oliver's relationship.

**Oliver’s point of view**

I woke up the next morning with a hangover and a headache beyond my worst nightmares. The room spun when I sat up and turned to peer down at Katie, who was still sleeping soundly.

I decided to let her sleep, knowing my headache would become worse if I woke her up.

I’d never been more grateful to have a shower. I hardly noticed the water was scalding hot because all I could picture was what had happened. I winced, both in pain from my headache and pain as I relived last night. I shouldn’t have done it. I knew better.

Still, I couldn’t help but remind myself that Katie had been the one to initiate it. Twice. I knew I was merely clinging to that excuse for hope, but the way she kissed me was unlike any I’d shared with other women.

“Idiot,” I muttered as I shut off the water.

I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, where Mum was making breakfast. Eggs benedict, my favorite.

“Good morning, Ol!” she said cheerily. “Can I get you some coffee?”

I grunted and took a seat at the counter. The light from the windows was overbearing.

“Tsk tsk.” I watched as my mother poured me a cup of coffee and rested my elbows on the counter to prop up my own head. “Bit hungover, dear?” I grunted again and Mum smiled. “How late did the two of you get back?”

“After midnight.”

“Well, did you have a nice time?”

“Sure.”

“Is Katie still sleeping?”

“Yes.”

I was thankful when she fell quiet for a moment. But then…

“So I couldn’t help but notice that Katie didn’t stay in the guest room last night.”

Shit.

“Yeah, she didn’t want to be alone.”

Suddenly, Mum set the coffee pot down audibly on the counter, its contents sloshing around. She gazed at me with a serious expression, her eyes looking stern, yet impatient.

“Oliver.”

“Yes, Mum?”

“What are you doing?”

“Having breakfast.”

“Oliver James.” Double shit. “You know what I mean.”

“Mum, what?” I sighed. “Katie was drunk.”

“So she slept in your bed?”

“She does it all the time.”

“Honey, she has a fiancé.”

“I’m aware of that, Mother.”

Mum shot me a look that implied she’d hex me if I didn’t adjust my attitude. “Honey,” she continued. “This whole best friends act you two have, it’s got to change.”

“What do you mean? Katie _is_ my best friend.”

“I know that. But the way you two behave… It was cute when you were teenagers but you’re adults now. She’s engaged. You two can’t keep acting like lovesick teenagers.”

“We don’t. We aren’t lovesick. Mum, this is just how we are. It’s how we’ve always been.”

“How many times has she slept in your bed?”

“It’s not like that!” I insisted. “She just likes to sleep there sometimes because she likes the company. Nothing’s ever happened.”

“And she doesn’t choose to sleep with her own fiancé when she wants company?”

“I mean, sometimes she stays with him. But he’s usually picking a fight with her so she comes to me.”

Mum looked exasperated. “Oliver, you can’t let her come running to your room every time she gets upset with him.”

The hangover was bad enough, but I was starting to get annoyed. My mother had always adored Katie. I’d never heard her say a negative thing about her. She used to tell all her friends Katie was her future daughter-in-law.

“Mum, there’s nothing to worry about,” I insisted. “There’s nothing going on. She’s just getting some cold feet ahead of the wedding.”

“Oliver.” Mum’s gaze was no longer stern, but serious and a bit concerned. “There’s a lot of love between the two of you. But that’s no excuse for your behavior. She’s getting married.”

“Mum, it’s not like that,” I repeated. “I know she’s getting married. There’s nothing going in, this is just… how we are.”

“Oliver,” Mum said quietly. “You have to let her go.”

I’ve never told my mother how I feel about Katie, but I wasn’t surprised she knew. She’d watched the two of us grow up together. She’d listened to Katie talk about her boyfriends while I said nothing. She watched me date with few relationships to show for it. She’d seen the way Katie and I flirt, laugh and tease one another. But until now, it’d always been, “Oh, those two, that’s just the way they are.”

I opened my mouth to protest again, but Katie suddenly came breezing into the kitchen. Her hair was wet from a shower and I could tell she’d been crying.

Still, in typical Katie fashion, she smiled and greeted Mum, taking the seat next to me at the counter.

“Katie, dear!” Mum said, reaching for the coffee pot. “Just in time for breakfast. Did you have a nice time last night?”

I noticed Katie’s jaw clench. It was her tell tale sign when she was uncomfortable. I also noticed she seemed incredibly determined to avoid eye contact with me.

“It was lovely,” Katie said, smiling graciously as Mum handed her a coffee mug. “I’d never been to a wedding quite like that. They really went all out. It was beautiful.”

“Yes well, that side of the family has always been a bit showy,” Mum said. “But I’m sure your wedding will be fabulous as well.”

Katie stared into her coffee and I reached over to gently squeeze her hand beneath the counter. She didn’t pull hers away but I could see her clenching her jaw again.

Mum set breakfast plates in front of Katie and me, and I quickly realized how hungry I’d been. Katie thanked Mum for breakfast and I watched her pick at her plate.

The sudden sound of wings stole our attention as we realized Dad’s owl had arrived. “Ah, that’ll be The Prophet,” Mum said, retrieving the newspaper. “Oh look! They’ve done a feature on the wedding. See? Annabelle Wood weds Daniel Higgs.” Neither Katie nor I reacted until we heard Mum gasp. “Oh, just look at the two of you! You’re such a sight for sore eyes!”

“What?” we both chimed.

Mum held up the paper again. There we were, Katie with her arms around me as we danced. I watched as her figure rested her head on my shoulder before we both began laughing.

 _Oliver Wood and Katie Bell appeared at the Wood-Higgs wedding seemingly together. The pair remained unattached all night, and were even seen having an intimate moment together while dancing,_ the photo caption read.

Thank Merlin they didn’t get a photo of the intimate moment we had in the garden.

“Bloody nonsense,” I sighed. I’d become used to The Daily Prophet and its stories. They knew Katie had a fiancé but they continued to write gossip and speculation on us. Countless photos of the two of us had been printed with rumors on our affair. It’d been going on for ages.

“Oliver,” Katie said quietly. I turned to look at her and realized she was looking at me with wide, scared eyes. “Chris. He doesn’t know I’m here.”


	14. There's A Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver pushes Katie to be honest about her feelings.

**Katie’s point of view**

Oliver and I returned home early from his parents’ house. We’d planned to stay in Glasgow another night, but Oliver told his Mum we were both too hungover and took me home. He knew things were about to become dramatic, and neither of us wanted his parents to see.

When we landed in our living room, I made a beeline straight for my bedroom without a word. I unpacked my bag and sat on my bed, trying to think of ways to stall so I could linger in my room. I knew Oliver wanted to talk about what had happened but I was desperate to avoid it.

Oliver. Shit. I couldn’t believe what I’d done. I threw myself backward and stared at the ceiling. I’d almost made it. I’d almost managed to get through Hogwarts and four years of living with Oliver without ruining our friendship. I’d always wondered if anything would ever happen between us, not necessarily because I wanted it to, but because everyone else did. For years, I put up with my friends and family, who hounded me about Oliver, asking when we were finally going to get together.

“It’s not like that between us,” I’d always insist. “He’s my best friend. We’d never want to ruin that.”

Sure, I’d always wondered about it. How could I not? Oliver was hot. But I always assumed I wasn’t his type, and we were completely comfortable as best friends. It was as if Oliver and I had a silent agreement to never attempt it. But now the boundary had finally been crossed and I wasn’t sure if there was any turning back.

I squeezed my eyes shut in attempt to block out the image of the previous night. I knew I was going to use alcohol as an excuse for kissing Oliver, but I also knew it wasn’t the truth.

The truth was, I liked it. I wanted to do it again. I knew myself well enough that I’d probably blame it all on cold feet, that I was just nervous about the wedding and had too much to drink. I felt sick to my stomach. I knew myself well enough to know I was going to lie to everyone. I hated that about myself.

“Kate?”

Shit. Oliver was standing in my doorway.

“Not now, Ol.”

“Katie, come on.” I was determined not to look at him as I heard his footsteps cross the room. “We need to talk about what happened.”

“Nothing happened.”

“Katie, come on. We can’t act like it didn’t.”

I sighed and sat up. He positioned himself at the foot of my bed, sitting on the edge as if he was afraid to sit too close to me. “Fine,” I said. “Let’s talk.”

Instead, he didn’t say anything. I wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the situation had become. Finally, he shifted to face me better. “Kate, I want to make better sense of how you’re feeling.”

“Ol, you know I don’t know.”

“No,” he said. “I don’t want you to tell me how you think you should feel. I don’t want you to tell me how you want to feel. I want to know how you genuinely feel. I want to know the thoughts in your head.”

“It’s none of your business!” I snapped.

“It’s absolutely my business,” he retorted. “It became my business when you decided to drag me into it.”

“I didn’t drag you anywhere! Just because I kissed you first doesn’t mean I didn’t notice you kissing me back.” He didn’t have a response for that. “Besides, we were both drunk! We were being stupid. We didn’t know what we were doing!”

I was shouting now. And Oliver, in typical fashion, remained calm.

“Katie, we both knew what we were doing,” he said quietly.

“No, we didn’t! We had so much to drink, Oliver! It’s not a big deal!”

It was as if I’d flipped a switch. “Katie, stop _lying_!” Now we were both yelling. Oliver was on his feet now, glaring down at me. “Stop lying and get out of your own head!”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yes, you are! You’re lying about Chris. You’re lying about what happened with me. You’re lying about your feelings just so you can make all your problems go away!”

“I didn’t have any of these problems until recently! Everything was fine! I was happy, I was planning a wedding, we were fine. Now it’s all fucked up and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“Why don’t you try being honest for once?”

“I am being honest! I don’t know what to do!”

“Then just do what you want!” he exclaimed. “Stop doing things just because you think they’re the right thing to do! Stop insisting you want to marry Chris, just because you’re afraid of hurting him. Stop planning the stupid wedding you don’t even want. Stop saying nothing happened between us last night when you were the one who initiated it!”

“I told you, I was drunk and acting stupid!”

“But you still did it! You saw or felt something that made you want to kiss me.”

“So?!”

I had no defense for myself. I had kissed Oliver because I wanted to. Because something inside me told me to do it. Because I’d realized that Oliver was the most important man in my life.

“So do you still want to marry Chris?” Oliver continued.

“No!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Because it’s not that simple, Ol!” I exclaimed, tears streaming down my face. “I can’t just snap my fingers and make things go back to normal. They won’t just return to the way they used to be. Things are complicated now. I’m supposed to get married in a few weeks.”

“You aren’t supposed to do anything!” he replied. It’d been a long time since I’d seen him this frustrated and I didn’t understand. He’d said he wasn’t mad at me about the kiss, so I didn’t understand why he was so upset. I knew he didn’t like Chris, but his level of frustration seemed beyond his usual annoyance. “There’s nothing you’re supposed to do. Quit focusing on expectations and just do what you feel in your heart for once!”

“It’s not. that. simple!”

“Only because you’re making it that way!” He exhaled aggressively and suddenly his voice became calm again. “Katie, it doesn’t have to be like this between us. It shouldn’t be like this. We both know how it should be.”

“And how should it be, Oliver?”

A heavy silence returned to the room and I started to feel nervous as he gazed at me. His warm eyes were cool this time. His jaw was clenched and I could see his chest rising and falling with every breath.

“It should be you and me,” he started. His tone was quiet and clear. “It should be you and me in our flat, eating takeout and fighting over who left the dishes in the sink.” I realized he was repeating my own words back to me, but he continued. “And it should be you and me, staying up until sunrise talking about nothing. It should be you and me, laughing over our inside jokes. It should be you and me, taking all those trips to see all the faraway places you’ve dreamt about. It should be you and me, no one else, forever.”

“What are you saying?”

He threw his hands in the air and spun on his heel, retreating to the door. “Nevermind,” I heard him mutter.

“No wait!” I scrambled off the bed to my feet and followed him into the hallway. “Oliver, stop. What did you mean?” He spun around to face me. At first, I thought he looked angry but as he caught my gaze, I realized he looked exhausted.

“Katie, think about it,” he said. “There’s a reason we are the way we are. There’s a reason I know what scares you. There’s a reason I know why you won’t eat fish. There’s a reason I know how you broke your arm when we were 13. There’s a reason why I let you steal all my shirts.” He took a step toward me and I opened my mouth to speak, but he shook his head and held my gaze. “And there’s a reason I don’t bring other women home with me. There’s a reason I stay up late to make sure you get home all right when you work late. There’s a reason you’re always the one in the newspaper with me. There’s a reason I’m always the one that’s here for you.”

I felt defeated. I was out of things to say because I knew he was right. I’d already admitted that he was the one person I counted on. But I didn’t understand why he was making a point out of all this.

“And what’s the reason, Oliver?”

He looked as if I’d socked him in the face. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“No! Enlighten me!” I demanded. He looked so frustrated, I started to worry he was going to punch the wall. Instead, he leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.

“Katie,” he said calmly. “What do you see when you look at me?

“What?”

“Just answer the question.”

“I see… you, Ol. I see my best friend. I see the most important person in my life.”

“Do you know what I see? I see my best friend, and I see the only woman I’ve ever loved. I see the one person I can trust when everyone else just wants my photo or to gossip about me. I see the only person I want to be around, and the only person who reminds me how to be myself.” I felt winded. Oliver’s words hung in the air over us in quiet hallway. “Katie, say something.”

“What do you want me to say, Ol?”

“Anything.” He looked pissed again. “No, you know what? I want you to say how you really feel. I want you to say what’s really on your mind. I want you to say why you really kissed me last night.”

“I’m not doing this,” I said, pushing past him. I made my way through the living room and into the kitchen.

“Katie, answer me!” I realized I had nowhere to go. Oliver had followed me and now I was trapped between the table and counter. “Why did you kiss me?” he demanded again.

“I don’t know! I was-”

“Don’t say you were drunk.”

“But I was!”

“So was I. But that’s not an excuse.”

“I don’t know why,” I said. “It just happened. I’m not denying it did, but I don’t know why.”

Oliver had had enough, and I can’t say I blamed him. He was a bleeding heart right now and I was still shutting him out. He knew, I knew I was, and I knew why I was doing it. But I wasn’t ready to discuss it.

Oliver turned and, though I was no longer cornered, I didn’t move. “I’m going for a walk,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”

Every neuron on my brain screamed at me to stop him, but I couldn’t open my mouth. I had the words, all I had to do was say, “Stop!” but I couldn’t manage them. So instead, I watched Oliver leave, slamming the door shut behind himself.


	15. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Weasley twins attempt to help Oliver out with an intervention.

**Oliver’s point of view**

I stormed out of the flat onto the sidewalk with no real destination in mind. I was too pissed to really focus on anything, so I let my feet carry me wherever they decided to go.

I couldn’t comprehend how Katie failed to understand what I was trying to tell her. In my mind, I couldn’t have made things clearer unless I’d grabbed her and kissed her. I mean, she’d already done it to me twice, so maybe I should have.

The more I thought about our argument, the more I wondered if I’d wasted my time and jeopardized our friendship for nothing. The reality was, Katie loved Chris, even if the dynamics of their relationship was different from ours. Clearly there was something about Chris she loved enough to agree to marry him. I thought I’d come to terms with all that, but maybe I’d let delusion get the best of me.

Somehow, I ended up in Diagon Alley and decided to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies for some new gloves. I trudged toward the shop when a pair of arms intercepted me.

“Wood! Old buddy, old pal!”

Weasleys.

“Lads, I’m not really in the mood-” I started.

“Nonsense, when you’re with the Weasleys, you’re always in the mood.”

“What? That’s disturbing-”

“That’s why I said it.”

Fred and George steered me toward their shop and pulled me inside.

“I will not be your guinea pig,” I said, assuming they had new products to test.

“Not today,” Fred said. Or maybe it was George.

“Today,” the other continued. “We thought we’d had a good old chat…”

“Man to man…”

“Just the three of us.”

“What?”

The twins led me toward a table in the back of the shop. One of them pulled a chair out for me and gestured toward it. “After you, m’lady.”

“Don’t call me that,” I said, sliding onto the chair.

“Ah, that’s right. Only Katie gets to call you that.”

“I’m not a la- wait, what?”

George, I think, tossed a copy of The Daily Prophet on the table. “Nice photo,” he said.

“A lovely wedding,” the other continued.

“Looks like quite the affair…”

“Speaking of affairs…”

I hated how they finished each other’s sentences. Twintuition is a strange phenomena.

“Nothing happened,” I said rather forcefully. The twins swapped a knowing look and the next thing I knew, they were inching their chairs closer to me.

“Wood, my dear,” one said, draping an arm over my shoulder.

“This is an intervention,” the other finished. “It’s time we addressed your problem.”

“What problem? I don’t have a problem.”

The twins swapped another look. “Denial,” they said in unison.

“Look, Wood,” George said. “We know times can’t be easy for you now, with the wedding approaching…”

“But when we look at photo like this,” Fred motioned toward the newspaper, “We just can’t help ourselves.”

“A photo like what?” I said, feigning stupidity. “We just had a dance, that’s it.”

Fred reached into his pocket and tossed a crumbled ball onto the table. “Whoops, didn’t meant to bend it all up like that,” he mumbled. He unfolded the ball and smoothed it out, revealing another photo.

It was a picture taken last year, when our entire group went on a trip to Greece together. In the photo, the twins were causing their usual havoc while Alicia and Angelina laughed. I was standing next to Katie and Chris, who had his arms around Katie, but she looked pissed off. I remembered. They’d gotten into a fight that morning and Katie refused to talk to him until the following day.

Fred slid the photo next to the paper, where Katie and I danced. “There’s quite a bit of difference here, you see,” he said. “She looks quite happy in here.” He motioned to the paper. “And less than thrilled here… She looks pretty hot in that dress, too.”

They didn’t need to show me any of this. I already knew. Though I was surprised they’d noticed. Those Weasleys are sly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said flatly.

“C’mon Wood,” George said. “We may be the supreme pranksters of the wizarding world, but we aren’t daft. She’s happiest when she’s with you, and you’ve always fancied her. Probably always will, you poor, lovesick puppy.”

“I am _not_ a puppy!”

The twins looked at each other. “Notice how he didn’t deny the lovesick part?”

“Right you are, my brother.”

“I am _not_ lovesick!”

“Wood, mate,” George said. “We’re here as your pals. We’re here to help you, give you a little encouragement.”

“I don’t need any encouragement.”

“Really? Have you asked dear Katie out?”

“Asked her out? What are we, 15?”

“Well, Wood, normally when you fancy a lady, you ask her out. Unless…”

“Could it be?”

“Is Oliver Wood more of the physical type?”

“Do you prefer to jump straight to the point, Wood?”

“Get her in bed?”

“ _What?_ ” I sputtered. “Listen, you lot. I’m not getting anyone into bed, especially Katie. I’m not going to ask her out, there’s no point in doing so. She still doesn’t get it, even after what happened.”

Oh, _no_.

The twins grinned happily at each other.

“Everything that happened?” George repeated innocently.

“And what happened, dear Wood?”

“Stop calling me dear.”

“Stop avoiding the subject.”

“Nothing happened!”

Another twin glance.

“Clearly something happened…”

“Or else you wouldn’t have mentioned it…”

“Could it be, Fred?”

“Do you think, George?”

“Did our dear Wood finally make a move on Katie Ann Bell?”

“Her middle name’s Marie.”

They ignored me. “Wood,” Fred said, attempting to look serious. “What happened?”

I sighed, deciding I might as well tell them. They were going to find out anyway, as soon as Katie decided to tell Alicia and Angelina.

“Katie kissed me. Twice. At the wedding. Last night.”

“Wicked.”

“About time. But _she_ kissed you?”

“Yes.”

“And I assume you kissed her back?”

“Of course.”

“Twice?”

“Yes, twice. Once in the garden and once in b-” I stopped.

“Yes, Wood? Once in what?”

I exhaled. I need to learn to gather my thoughts before speaking. “Once in bed.”

They looked delighted. “And it was only a kiss?” George prodded. What are, teenage girls?

“Yes! Only a kiss. Nothing else happened.” They didn’t seem to believe me. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said, shaking my head. “She doesn’t get it. I told her. I told her I love her and she didn’t understand.”

“What do you mean she didn’t understand?”

“I told her she’s the only person I’ve ever loved, then I asked her why she kissed me. She couldn’t give me an answer.”

“Wood, she’s engaged.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“She’s probably really confused.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Don’t you think you should cut her some slack? This must be really hard on her.”

“It’s been hard on me too! I’ve had to spend the 18 years I’ve known her as her best friend, which has been amazing, but I’ve also had to watch her date moron after moron. Now she kisses me and can’t even give me a reason.”

“Wood, just because you’ve spent 18 years of your life waiting on her doesn’t mean it’s fair to expect her to come to that same realization so quickly.”

I had no rebuttal. Fred or George was actually right.

“Even if she is wildly, madly in love with you,” the other twin continued. “She still has a fiancé. You have to respect that.”

Again, Fred or George was right.

“And even if she is wildly, madly in love with you, she might just be starting to realize it. She’s a wicked smart girl, but she still might need time to process it.”

OK, right again.

“And if she isn’t wildly, madly in love with you, you have to respect that as well. She doesn’t owe you anything, Wood.”

Right a fourth time. Who were these redheads and what had they’d done with the twins who tried to turn my hair green just a week or two ago?

I sighed in defeat. I hated how smug the twins looked, but arguing with them was senseless. They were actually make a good case here.

“You need to give her some space, Wood.”

The Weasley twins, who were the kings of invading personal space, were telling me to back off. Unfortunately, they were right. Again.

“Fine,” I said. “What am I going to do when I get home? I don’t want to push her but I can’t ignore her either.”

George clapped me on the back. “You’ll crash at my place tonight.” He batted his eyelashes at me. “It’ll be a fun little sleepover. We’ll giggle like schoolgirls.”


	16. Of Course You're Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie has a heart-to-heart with Angelina.

**Katie’s point of view**

I don’t know how long I cried after Oliver stormed out. It felt like hours.

By late afternoon, it also dawned on me that I hadn’t heard from Chris. No owls and he hadn’t dropped by. He was probably still on his fishing trip with his father, meaning he might not have even seen The Daily Prophet yet.

I felt trapped and I hated being left alone to my own thoughts. Oliver wasn’t there to listen to me and it made me feel like I had no one.

By evening, I decided to visit Angelina. She’d always been the best person for advice, whether it was my schoolgirl crushes back at Hogwarts or the men I’d dated since.

“Katie!” Angelina said cheerfully when I appeared on her front porch. “What are you doing here? How was the wedding? I saw the photo of you and Wood in The Prophet. Your dress was so sexy, you must let me borrow it somet-” She stopped when she saw my eyes. They were red and puffy from crying. “Katie, what happened?”

“I kissed Oliver,” I blurted out.

I’d always imagined that if I were to ever utter those words to Angelina, she’d clap and cheer and throw a soiree. Instead, she froze and her eyes became wide as saucers.

“You did _what_?”

“I kissed Oliver. Twice. At the wedding. Well, once at the wedding, then again when we were in bed.”

“When you were _where_?”

“We didn’t have sex,” I said quickly. “It wasn’t like that. But I kissed him. And he kissed me back.”

“Katie,” Angelina said breathlessly. She motioned me inside to sit on the couch and I noticed Fred didn’t seem to be home. “Katie, how did this happen?”

“I don’t know. We were both pretty drunk. But I think we both knew what we were doing. I mean, I did. I just… felt like kissing him, so I did it.”

“But what led up to it? Did he finally profess his love for you or something?”

“No, he- What? How did you know?”

“So he _did_ profess his love for you?!”

“I don’t know. Wait.” I shook my head, trying to sort my thoughts out. “Let me start from the beginning.” Angelina nodded and I could tell she was hanging on to my every word. “We were sitting in this garden at the wedding and… we were talking about how I’m not sure I should be marrying Chris.”

“What?!”

I sighed, realizing that starting from the beginning would require me to rewind a bit more. “I’ve been having second thoughts about marrying Chris,” I said in one breath.

“Katie, why?”

“Because it doesn’t feel right. He’s a good man and he loves me. Most times I think I love him.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“He’s… he’s not…”

“Wood?”

“It’s not that he’s not Oliver. It’s that…” Shit. She was right. I sighed and tilted my head backward, closing my eyes. “Fine. You’re right. He’s not Oliver.” I shifted in my seat a bit and turned my head to look at Angelina. “But it’s more than just that,” I continued. “It’s that Chris and I don’t have what Oliver and I have. And I know Ol and I have been best friends for 18 years, which is hard for Chris to match, but he and I have been together long enough that our relationship should be built on more than this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oliver’s my person. I go to him about everything. I talk to him about everything. He doesn’t judge me. He’s my safe place.” I thought about his words the night before. “I feel the most like myself when I’m with him.”

“What made you realize all of this?”

“I guess it was all the talk about moving in with Chris. It made me realize how scared I am to leave Oliver.”

“But Katie, you’re getting married. You have to move out.”

“I don’t want to,” I said. “I don’t want the life that Chris wants. He wants a house outside the city with 10 kids. I want to stay in my flat with maybe one or two kids and a dog.”

“With Wood?”

“What?”

“Your plan for the future… Is Wood a part of it?”

“Of course, he is. I have to have Ol in my life. He’s always been there. I’d be lost without him.”

“But as your best friend or as more?”

“I don’t know. I guess now I’ve found myself wondering what it’d be like if we were more.”

Angelina sat back and peered at me for a moment. “Katie, are you saying you want to end things with Chris… weeks before your wedding, because you want to be with Wood?”

“Yes, maybe. I think so. I mean, I’m not saying I’m ready to leap into Oliver’s arms and ask him to marry me, but I can’t help but wonder if he and I should be together. When I step back and really think about it, it makes sense.”

“Wow.” For once in her life, Angelina was speechless. She looked like I’d just told her I’d been named the Minister of Magic. “Katie,” she finally said. “This is serious.”

“Trust me, I know.”

“But I mean, your wedding is practically here, and you’re just going to… call it off?”

“I want to,” I said. “But I’m so conflicted, Ang. What if I really am just having cold feet? What if all this madness in my head will go away after the wedding and I live perfectly happy with Chris?”

“Katie, do you remember how happy I was before Fred and I got married?”

“Of course. You wouldn’t shut up about it. You made us try on our bridesmaid dresses sixteen times.”

“Do you remember how excited I was? All I wanted was for that day to come. I couldn’t sleep and I’d find myself waking up at 3 a.m. just to try on my wedding gown, because I couldn’t wait for the moment Fred was going to see me in it.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because that’s how it’s supposed to feel, Katie. You’re supposed to be happy and excited and stupidly giddy. I felt all those things because I knew I wanted to marry Fred and didn’t have a doubt in the world about it. You know how you said Wood’s your person? Fred is mine, and I knew that I didn’t want to spend my life with anyone but him.”

“Do you think I should marry Chris?” Angelina’s eyes widened and she seemed to be carefully measuring her thoughts. “Ang, answer me.”

“No,” she finally said.

“No?”

She shook her head. “Katie, Chris is an all right guy. But you aren’t supposed to marry all right. You’re supposed to marry the person you can’t be without. There are a thousand Chrises, but there’s only one Oliver Wood.”

“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

She shrugged. “Hotties like Wood are a dime a dozen, too. But down-to-Earth hotties like Wood aren’t. You really do keep him grounded, Katie, and he really does love you. You and Wood just go together. You balance each other out, plus you’d have the most _adorable_ children.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you don’t like Chris?”

“Because it’s not my place to police your life, Katie. I thought you were happy with him and I thought you’d never see Wood the way he sees you.”

“You knew he likes me?”

“Katie.” Angelina gave me a look. “A blind man could tell he likes you. And we’re not teenagers anymore. Wood _loves_ you. He always has. Why else do you think he doesn’t have a girlfriend? He messes around with dumb bimbos but they never seem to get past a first date or two. He’s always waited on you.”

I sighed audibly and rubbed my temples. “Ang, what have I gotten myself into?”

“If anything, it seems like you’ve finally opened your eyes.”

“You don’t think I’m acting crazy?”

“Of course you’re acting crazy. But all this craziness could lead to something good. You already know how I feel about you and Wood. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sad to see you so upset right now, and I know calling off a wedding isn’t going to be easy, but I’m here for you. And Wood’s here for you.”

“If he doesn’t hate me.”

“Katie, Wood’s pined for you for 18 years. Just because you’re a mess right now doesn’t mean he’s suddenly going to get over you. Hell, I tried to help him get over you once. Introduced him to this pretty girl who works at the café across from the shop. She’s no you, but I thought she’d be a pretty good consolation prize for Wood. They went out once or twice and then he quit asking her out.”

“I can’t believe things have come to this,” I said. “I’ve made such a mess of things.”

“OK, now can we get to the good stuff?” Angelina said, leaning forward. “The kiss? The part where you were in bed? Give me all the details.”

I sighed. If I was going to show up at Angelina’s house unannounced to reveal my feelings for our mutual friend, the least I could do was give her the spicy details she loved.

“We were in this garden at the wedding, talking about whether I should marry Chris and how I don’t even like weddings and how I was just doing it because it seemed like the proper thing to do,” I said. “And suddenly, I blurted out that I didn’t feel right with Chris because he and I don’t have the same bond as Oliver and I do. And then I was just kissing him.”

“And he kissed you back?”

“Mmhmm. He’s a good kisser, by the way.”

“I bet he is. You can’t have a body like that and be a bad kisser.” She giggled. “And then?”

“Then we acted like it hadn’t happened. I mean, we kind of laughed it off. But then when we got back to his parents’ house, I slept in his room because I felt lonely and bad about everything, and then I couldn’t help myself. He was shirtless and drunk, and I was drunk. I kissed him again and it was a bit… it was a bit more intense than the first one.”

Angelina raised an eyebrow. “And then?”

“And then he kind of stopped me, so I rolled off him and went to sleep.”

“You were on _top_ of him? And wait, what do you mean he stopped you?”

“When we came up for air, he mumbled my name like he was unsure. So I panicked and went to sleep.”

Angelina smiled. “Katie, I hope you recognize how much that bloke cares for you. He’s been wanting to shag you all his life and he didn’t when he had the chance because you decided to get drunk.”

“We weren’t going to shag, Angelina!”

She gave me a look. “Would you have if he hadn’t stopped you?”

I wanted to say of course not, because I’m engaged and faithful to my fiancé, but obviously that was no longer the case. “I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “I mean, Merlin, that’s such a weird concept to think about… Oliver and me.”

“Well I’m certain he’s thought about it.” She grinned. “Hell, I’ve thought about it.”

“Angelina!”

* * *

I returned home once I’d spilled everything to Angelina, who reassured me that everything would be all right.

When Oliver didn’t come home, I began to wonder if he’d met up with his teammates to tell them how horrible I am. I didn’t get much time to dwell on it though, because a knock on the front door rang throughout the apartment around 7 p.m.

I had a feeling I knew what was about to happen, and I was right. I swung the door open and braced for impact.

“Chris.”


	17. Secrets and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie's confronted by Chris and Oliver, but she still can't come to terms with her feelings.

**Katie’s point of view**

Chris didn’t say anything at first. His lips were pursed and I could tell he was doing everything in his power to refrain from shouting at me on my own doorstep.

“I thought you were fishing with your dad,” I said.

He stepped past me into the living room, his footsteps echoing loudly throughout the quiet flat. He turned to face me, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“I came back early,” he said. “I think you know why.”

“Chris, I can explain,” I started.

“Katie, don’t.” He put a hand up and I knew better than to launch into a rambling explanation. Chris was surprisingly calm, but I knew that likely wouldn’t last as our conversation progressed.

I hadn’t bothered to turn the lights on in the apartment, so the living room was rather dark. Light poured in through the front window from the streetlights, and I could see that Chris’s eyes were slightly narrowed.

“I should have known better,” Chris finally said, staring toward the window. He wouldn’t look at me. “Like the great Oliver Wood would ever attend a wedding solo.”

“Chris, it was a last-minute thing,” I said. “When I found out he didn’t have a date, I offered to go. It didn’t mean anything.”

When Chris finally looked up at me, he seemed surprised. “You offered to go? He didn’t ask you?”

Shit.

“No,” I replied. “I just thought he could use some company. You know how weddings are. They’re awful if you go alone.”

Chris shook his head. I felt like a child being scolded by her parents, like I’d been caught stealing candy or sneaking out of the house.

“Why don’t you just admit it, Katie? Just admit you’d rather be with Wood.”

“That’s not true, Chris.”

I don’t know why I was lying. I don’t know why I didn’t just break things off with him right then and there. I guess there was still a part of me that was fearful of ending it. Calling off a wedding was a big deal, especially for such a crazy reason. I could just imagine what people were going to say. “Did you hear? Katie Bell practically left her fiancé at the alter to run off with Oliver Wood.”

I realized I shouldn’t care what other people think, but I knew my parents would be livid and mortified and every other terrible adjective in the dictionary. The thought of disappointing them scared me, and the thought of making such a huge life decision by calling off my engagement scared me even more.

“How can I believe you?” Chris said. “I wake up this morning and see my fiancée in the paper, dancing with another man at a wedding that I didn’t even know about. Now I find out you wanted to go, that you offered to be his date. How am I supposed to believe you don’t prefer him?”

“Because I’m engaged to you.”

“Most days, it doesn’t feel like it.”

I don’t know what I’d expected was going to happen. I don’t know how I’d expected Chris to react. I don’t know why I was still trying to salvage our relationship when I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I guess I just wanted all the drama and pain to go away, and this felt like the easy way out. Telling people what they wanted to hear always seemed easier than admitting the truth. Now wasn’t the time to be doing that, and I knew it, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

“Chris, I picked you for a reason,” I said.

I don’t know why I was still trying. I really just wanted Oliver to come home so I could sort things out with him. That should have been my revelation. That should have been the “Aha!” moment I realized I was prioritizing my relationship with Oliver over my relationship with Chris. But instead, I kept going.

“Nothing happened. We just went to the wedding as friends.”

“You don’t snog your friends, Katie.”

“It didn’t mean anyth-” Wait. What? That wasn’t in the paper. “How did you know?”

Chris shook his head. “Well, at least you aren’t trying to lie about that part.”

“Chris, how did you know I kissed Oliver?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“No, I need to know.”

“It doesn’t matter, Katie. What matters is that you did it.”

“How did you find out?”

Chris sighed. “You know what, Katie? I don’t know why I’m bothering. You’re clearly more concerned about how I found out about you kissing Wood than you are about our relationship.”

“Chris, that’s not true, I-”

“I’m done.” Chris shoved his way past me and I turned, stunned. “Find me when you’re ready to stop with all the lies."

* * *

I didn’t sleep much that night. My mind wrestled with all the dilemmas I’d created for myself and I still had no idea what to do.

I loved Chris and I loved Oliver, in different ways. I tried to sort the two of them into separate mental columns, noting what I loved about each of them.

Chris was handsome, smart and driven. Sure, he didn’t always seem to understand me, but he cared about me and loved me. He wanted me for his future.

Oliver was hot, funny and sweet. He prioritized me. He was always patient with me, and always made it a point to listen to me when I had something to say. He understood me and loved me for who I am. Most of all, I knew I could always count on him.

I knew pushing them into pro-con columns wasn’t the way to make a decision. I was merely trying to justify the decision I’d already made. I wanted a good excuse that would prevent anyone from being mad at me, to keep me from being the bad guy, though I knew that wasn’t a realistic possibility.

But rage also lingered near the forefront of my mind. I was certain no one else had seen me kiss Oliver at the wedding, which meant Oliver was the only one who could’ve told Chris. I assumed that’s where he’d gone for the day. He went to Chris and told him what I did in order to break us up.

That had me seeing red. Oliver had no right to intervene in my relationship. I already knew what I’d done was wrong, and that Chris probably wouldn’t forgive me, but that wasn’t for Oliver to decide. The more I thought about it, the more pissed I felt. Maybe Oliver didn’t have the integrity I thought he did.

I was awake for sunrise. I had my eyes closed, but could sense the sun beginning to seep through my curtains. I was waiting to hear Oliver come home. I knew I’d hear the front door creak open and his footsteps would make their way down the hall. What I didn’t know is how he’d react. Or how I’d react. I was still seething over the fact he’d told Chris. I didn’t want another shouting match, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep my emotions in check.

It was nearly 9 a.m. when that familiar sound echoed to my room. I held my breath and my adrenaline surged at the noise of his footsteps. I could hear him shuffling around his room and my rage resurfaced.

I was determined to keep to myself until I calmed down, but as I heard Oliver’s footsteps outside my door, I clenched my jaw. It seemed all I was doing these days was bracing myself for impact. I could hear the hesitation in his knock.

“What.” The door opened slowly as I kept my gaze on the ceiling.

“Katie.”

“What.”

“Can we talk?”

“About what?”

“Come on. Please.”

My patience had already run out. I sat up swiftly and glared at him. “You had no right,” I said sharply.

“What? No right to what?”

“You know what you did. Chris came by last night. He told me.”

“He told you what? Shouldn’t it have been the other way around?” He looked genuinely confused, but once my anger had taken off, there was no room to abruptly stop it.

“I know you told him, Oliver,” I said. My mouth was dry and my palms were sweaty. I kicked the covers off of myself while Oliver lingered in the doorway. “You’re the only one who could’ve told him about the kiss.”

“Wait, what? He knew? How’d he find out?”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Oliver.”

“Lie about what? Katie, what are you talking about?”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch the air and hide in a faraway place. “Stop playing games, Oliver! I know you told him!”

“Wait, you think I told him? Katie, how could I have told him? Why would I have told him?”

“You’re the only one who could have,” I said. “No one else saw. There’s no other way he could’ve found out.”

“Clearly someone else saw!” Oliver was shouting now. “Katie, there were hundreds of people at that wedding. Hell, you saw the photo in the paper. Anyone could have seen us in that garden.”

I knew he was right, but again, there was no turning back.

“There wasn’t a soul around us, Oliver. If someone had seen, it would’ve ended up in the paper.”

“Katie, this is insane.” Oliver took a step toward my bed and I clenched my fists. I have no idea why. I wasn’t expecting any sort of physical confrontation, but my anger had me beyond reasoning. “I didn’t tell Chris. I would never do that.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Katie, you have to believe me. I was with the twins all day.”

The twins? What the hell?

“You’re a real piece of work, Oliver,” I spat. “You play the role of the sweet, loving friend. You tell me you love me and care about me, then you go and ruin my relationship.”

“ _I_ ruined your relationship? Katie, I think you’ve done a pretty good job of doing that on your own,” he replied.

His words hurt and I think he could tell, because he bit his lip.

“You had no right to tell him.”

“So what were you going to do, Katie? Were you going to tell him nothing happened, that the photo in the paper was just innocent fun, and then go about your life with him? Were you just going to act like nothing happened between us?”

“Nothing did happen between us, Oliver. Come on. It was a couple of harmless kisses.”

It suddenly dawned on me that Chris was right. I was a liar. In fact, most of the words that had come from my mouth the last twelve hours had been lies. I lied to Chris about my feelings for Oliver and now I was lying to Oliver about my feelings.

Merlin, Katie. You’ve made one hell of a mess.

“If they were just a couple of harmless kisses, why were you so sure you were going to break things off with Chris?” Oliver said. “If I’m ‘your person’ and the one person you can’t live without, don’t tell me those kisses didn’t mean anything.” He paused for a moment, his cool gaze lingering on me. “And don’t tell me you wouldn’t have gone farther if I hadn’t stopped you.”

I was on my feet in a flash.

“How dare you!” I shrieked. “I was drunk.”

“You were sober enough to tell me you didn’t want to marry Chris.”

“It doesn’t matter what I told you! You still had no right to tell Chris about any of it!”

“I didn’t tell him anything!”

I started to sob and, despite all of the anger and shouting and finger-pointing, I could tell Oliver felt bad. He always comforted me during moments like this, but he’d never been the source of my tears.

“Get out,” I said quietly. “Get the fuck out of my room. And forget everything I said about needing you in my life.”


	18. Looking For Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie finally tells Chris how she feels about their relationship. Meanwhile, Oliver notices Katie's absence as Puddlemere United has an important match.

**Katie’s point of view**

Despite all the drama that had occurred, Monday arrived faster than I’d anticipated. I spent most of my Sunday locked in my room, crying. I have no idea what Oliver did that day, and I didn’t care.

With 30 minutes before my shift was to start at the hospital, I changed and did my best to look like I hadn’t spent the weekend snogging my friend and crying about it. Merlin, when I put it like that, it sounds so childish. This is the type of shit I was doing when I was 16. Well, I never cheated on anyone, but I’d done my fair share of snogging and crying.

I barely noticed my walk to the hospital and suddenly found myself walking through the front doors, unable to remember anything about my commute.

I hadn’t seen or heard from Chris since Saturday night, and I had no idea what to expect today. It was Monday, so I knew he’d be working my same shift.

All eyes were on me when I entered the staff lounge. I could tell everyone had been talking about me, because the hushed voices suddenly became silent. I felt like I was in slow motion as I walked to my locker, and could feel every set of eyes burning into the back of my head. The only sounds in the room were me, my footsteps on the tile floor and metal vibration of my locker door.

I wondered if Chris had told anyone, or if everyone was just gossiping about the photo in the paper. But Oliver and I had been the victims of numerous Daily Prophet photos and stories, and most of my co-workers had always managed to laugh them off with me. I assumed they’d heard a myriad of rumors, both true and untrue.

Suddenly, it felt like all the air had been sucked from the room and I knew why. I knew if it turned around, I’d see Chris. I heard his footsteps until he suddenly appeared at his locker next to mine.

He didn’t say anything. I didn’t say anything. I pretended like I was digging in my bag for something while he changed into his work shoes.

Our co-workers didn’t even try to pretend like they weren’t watching us. They were treating us like a midnight matinee, staring and waiting on something exciting to happen.

I cleared my throat. “Everyone? Would you mind giving us a minute?” They scattered, leaving me with Chris, who was aggressively tying his sneakers.

I immediately regretted asking everyone to leave. Somehow, their presence, despite it being rooted in nosiness, made me feel less alone. I had no idea what to say or do. I had no idea where Chris’s head was at, if he was still mad at me or if he’d calmed down enough to forgive me. I had no idea if we were still a couple.

“Hey,” I said quietly.

“Hey.”

Well, at least he was talking to me.

“How are you doing?” I asked.

“How do you think?”

I bit my lip and decided to sit down on the bench in front of my locker. “Chris, I’m sorry.”

“For which part?”

“All of it,” I said. “I’m sorry for not telling you I was going to the wedding. I’m sorry for going to the wedding. I’m sorry for kissing Oliver. I’m sorry for betraying your trust.”

“You’re just sorry you got caught.”

“No,” I said. “I was going to tell you.” Lie.

“It doesn’t matter if you were going to tell me. What matters is that you did it.”

“Chris, it didn’t mean anything.” Lie.

“Bullshit, Katie. You lied to me about going to the wedding because you wanted to be Wood’s date. Now you’re lying about your feelings for him. I told you this would happen.”

“No, you told me Oliver would try to make a move on me. He didn’t. It was the other way around.”

“Now you’re defending him?” Shit. “Katie, just admit you’re into him. Just admit you went to that wedding with every intention of forgetting about me. Just admit you were acting like a whore.”

Tears stung my eyes. “I’m not a whore, Chris.”

“Really? Then what would you call yourself, Katie? Because most people don’t go to a wedding to cheat on their fiancé.”

“Chris, it was just a kiss. I was drunk. I had a lot to drink and got caught up in a moment. And I didn’t go to the wedding with the intention of kissing Oliver.”

“Stop lying.”

“I’m not-”

“You are!” A sudden rage filled his eyes and I actually felt scared. “Stop fucking lying, Katie!” He punched the locker and I let out a gasp. “Do you love me?” he asked, turning to face me. His hand was bleeding and the metal on his locker door was dented.

“Chris, I…”

“Do you love me, Katie? It’s not a difficult question.”

Suddenly, it dawned on me that all the lying I’d been doing had led to this. It’d gotten me nowhere, except for a series of shouting matches with my fiancé and my best friend, both who probably hated me now. All I wanted was for everything to go back to normal so I could go home.

Home. My place with Oliver, who I knew would make me macaroni and cheese if I asked him. Home. The place where I’d covered an entire wall in the living room with pictures of Oliver, me and our friends. Home. The place where we shared toothbrushes and towels, despite how much it grossed me out. Home. The place where I knew someone would always be waiting to hear about my day.

I wanted to go home.

“Chris, I… I love you. But not the way you want me to.” He didn’t say anything, so I continued. “I want to feel the same way. I desperately want to. But all this talk about moving out and starting my life with you is making me realize that the life I want is at home with Oliver. I’m sorry for all of this, you don’t deserve it. You deserve someone who adores you and I’m sorry it’s not me. If I could choose how feel, I would, and I’d choose you, but Oliver… Things just feel right when I’m with him. I’m sorry I’m just now realizing it. That isn’t fair to you and I understand if you hate me forever. I just don’t think I’ll be happy if we move forward.”

I searched his expression but he didn’t react. Blood dripped onto the tile floor from his hand, but he paid no notice. “Finally,” he said, turning to leave. “It’s about time you told the truth.”

**Oliver’s point of view**

Katie was no longer speaking to me. Not that I’d really reached out to her either. This was the longest we’d gone without talking, and it was only Thursday. Sure, we’d had our quarrels and childish fights over the years, but we always made up within a day or two.

I could hear Katie crying in her room most days and it killed me, because I knew she wouldn’t come to me for comfort like she usually did. I wanted to comfort her, but the Weasley twins’ words remained front-of-mind. I knew I needed to give her space, because imposing myself on her would just confuse her more.

I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t know where she stood with Chris and more importantly, I didn’t know where she stood with me. She still thought I’d been the one who told Chris we’d kissed and I didn’t know how to prove my innocence. The thought of losing my friendship with her over something so stupid was frustrating.

I occupied myself with training. We had a huge a match Thursday night against the Falmouth Falcons, who were currently in first place. A win over them would put us in first place and guarantee us a spot in the playoffs. I did everything I could to focus on quidditch, because the last thing I needed was for my career to take a hit in addition to my personal life.

* * *

“That’s 10 points for Puddlemere United, putting them up by 50 points!”

We were two hours into Thursday’s match and I was exhausted. Falmouth had the fastest Chasers in the league and they were giving me a run for my money. I’d made several huge saves, but I didn’t know how much longer I could keep up.

I watched as one of our Beaters sent a Bludger flying toward a Flamouth Chaser and exhaled in relief. I needed a moment to catch my breath. I hovered in front of the goal posts, flying in a few circles.

My eyes fell on the stands and I suddenly felt sad. Katie’s usual seat was empty. I hadn’t expected her to show up, but the visual confirmation was still a punch in the gut. She always came to my home matches when she wasn’t working, especially the important ones. I knew she had the night off, because she’d worked the late shift last night.

A sudden crowd roar jerked me from my thoughts and I spun around to see our Seeker waving the Golden Snitch in her hand.

The stadium announcer was shouting at full volume. “Puddlemere wins! United is now in first place! They’re going to the playoffs!”


	19. Overheard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver heads to the pub with his team to celebrate their victory. While there, he overhears a jarring conversation.

**Oliver’s point of view**

I was three Firewhiskeys into the team’s postgame celebration at our favorite pub as I watched our Beaters spray a bottle of champagne over the crowd. A round of cheers echoed across the bar and I couldn’t help but laugh. It was nice to let loose and enjoy a moment after such an emotionally draining week. I hoped the high of securing a playoff spot would be enough to keep my mind occupied from my issues with Katie for a night.

“Wood!”

The team’s Beaters, Kevin Walsh and Marcus O’Conner, were approaching my barstool. “Great match, Wood,” Kevin said, clapping me on the back. “Those Chasers were tough as nails. Wicked fast.”

“That last save was spectacular,” Marcus added. “Boy, did you hear the ladies screaming after that?” He grinned and nudged me in the ribs.

“Speaking of the ladies,” Kevin said. “What’s going on with you and Katie?”

Katie knew most of my teammates well. Most nights like this, she’d be with me, celebrating the important victories with shots and cheers. And, like most men who were fortunate enough to cross paths with her, Kevin and Marcus had also fallen under her spell, though both had always respected her relationship with Chris. More than can be said for my sorry ass.

“Nothing’s going on.”

Marcus gave me a look. “Wood, mate. We saw the photo in the paper. You took her to a wedding?”

“Just as a friend. I didn’t have a date so she offered to come.”

“You? You didn’t have a date?” Now Marcus was really giving me a look. “Wood, you have your pick of lot when it comes to the ladies. I saw that blonde you went home with that one time. Don’t tell me she wouldn’t gladly accompany you to a wedding.”

“I didn’t get around to asking anyone to go, so Katie went. That’s all.”

Kevin grinned. “She still getting married?”

It occurred to me that I couldn’t answer him honestly, since I really didn’t know.

“I assume so,” I said, shrugging a shoulder.

“Say…” Marcus said, looking around the pub. “Where is Katie? She always comes to these get-togethers, especially after such a big win. She should be celebrating with us.”

“She had to work.”

The pair eyed me suspiciously. “Wood,” Kevin said slowly. “Did something happen with you two? You’re usually thrilled to discuss Katie. You always beam like a bloody idiot at the mention of her name. What’s the deal?”

“Nothing happened,” I said. Why was everyone so concerned about Katie and me?

“Wood, mate. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but something’s clearly off here.”

“She just couldn’t make it,” I insisted.

The pair shook their heads at me, and Kevin set his drink down in front of me. “Well, whatever it is, I hope you lot sort it out. Wouldn’t be right, the two of you without one another. In the meantime, hopefully this pint helps.”

They disappeared into the massive crowd and I suddenly felt claustrophobic. I pushed my way through the bodies toward a back corner of the bar and up the stairs. I was nearly at the top of the steps when I froze.

Chris.

I could see him sitting at a table in the corner, partially beneath the stairs. There was someone with him and I squinted to see if it was Katie. That’s when I realized it wasn’t. It was that Olivia woman they worked with.

The two were speaking quietly and I lowered myself down, sitting on the steps just above them, praying they couldn’t see me from this angle.

“Just let her go, Chris,” I heard Olivia say. “You said it yourself, you only wanted to marry her because everyone else wants her. Why they want her is beyond me, she’s absolutely daft, but let them have her.”

“She’s absolutely embarrassed me, Liv,” Chris said. “She’s completely fucked up my reputation. I’m a joke now. The bloke who got cheated on for some quidditch git.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek to refrain from shouting down at them.

“So what?” Olivia said. “So what if our plan didn’t turn out quite right? At least _we_ can be together now.”

Plan?

“It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this,” Chris said. “ _You_ were supposed to end up with Wood.”

“I was going to try, Chris, but those two are rarely ever apart. I only got the bug in their house out of sheer, dumb luck that I got off work before Katie.”

_What?_

“A lot of good that did.”

“What do you mean? Chris, you wouldn’t have even known they’d snogged if it weren’t for the bug.”

“I couldn’t hear everything. I could only hear what they said when they were in the kitchen. Everything else was too muffled because they were too far away. Who knows what I missed.”

“But you still caught them.”

“True. I guess I got the confirmation I was looking for. Thank Merlin I got it before we got married. Imagine if I’d married her before I found out.”

“I know, but at least there’s some good that came of all this. We can be together now. No more sneaking around.” No more _what_? “I know we’d both planned to end up with other people, but maybe it’s best if we have each other. This fun little thing we’ve had on the side can become something more.”

Their voices stopped and I think it was because they were snogging. Meanwhile, I was wrestling with my desire to go down and confront them, but something told me to tell Katie first. I peered carefully over the railing in attempt to see better.

“So, when are you going to see her again?”

“I don’t know. I was planning on letting her sweat it out a bit more, but she’s probably too busy shagging that Wood git anyway.”

“I can’t believe you were right all along.”

“You should’ve gotten in their way like we’d planned.”

“Oh come on, Chris. I’m not that bad of a consolation prize, am I?”

“Of course not, love.” Another pause in the conversation for some snogging. “I just don’t like the way she embarrassed me. Less than two months until our wedding. What a waste.”

“So you’re just going to end it with her, like that?”

“I want to drag things out a little longer, let her suffer a bit more. Just through the weekend.”

“Speaking of weekends… are we spending the weekend together again?”

“Of course, love. Last weekend was amazing.”

“It really was the most romantic evening, wasn’t it?”

Wait. Wasn’t Chris supposed to be fishing with his dad last weekend? I waited to hear more, but it seemed that the two were locking lips again.

I stood and carefully made my way down the stairs, hurrying out the door to run home.


	20. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver tells Katie what he overheard at the pub, but she struggles to believe him.

**Katie’s point of view**

The front door crashed open and I damn near fell off the couch. “What the-”

“Katie!”

“Oliver?”

“You need to come with me.” He was panting and out of breath like he’d been exercising or something.

“Oliver, what-”

“Please just come with me,” he said breathlessly. “Just trust me. I know you hate me right now but you have to do this. Come outside, just real quick.”

I didn’t have much chance to protest as Oliver grabbed my hand and pulled me outside to the front porch. He closed the door and turned to face me, still trying to catch his breath.

“Oliver, are you OK? Do you need some water or something?”

He shook his head. “I’m fine,” he panted. He motioned toward the steps. “Let’s just sit.”

“Oliver, what is this about? Why can’t we do this inside? Didn’t you have a match tonight?”

“Katie, you have to listen to me, and you have to listen carefully,” he said seriously, turning to face me.

“OK…”

“Chris had Olivia bug our house and that’s how he found out about you kissing me.”

… _What?_

“What?”

“And he and Olivia are having an affair.”

… _What?_

“What?”

“And he never went fishing with his dad last weekend. He was with Olivia.

_…What?_

“What?”

“And I’m sorry for springing this all on you now, but I had to tell you.”

My mind couldn’t seem to process a single word he’d said. I swallowed as I went over each sentence again.

“Oliver…”

“Katie, you have to believe me.”

“Oliver, just slow down,” I said a bit too harshly. “What are you _talking_ about?”

He took a deep breath. “I was with the team at the pub celebrating just now, and I saw Chris and Olivia. I overheard them. I overheard everything. Chris had Olivia put a bug in our kitchen somewhere. And I think she was supposed to seduce me or something. So that’s how he found out about us kissing at the wedding. But then I heard them say they’d been together over the weekend and now they’ll be together once Chris breaks things off with you. Also, they were snogging at the pub.”

_What?_

“I don’t believe you.”

I knew Oliver would never lie to me, and the whole story sounded too ludicrous to be made up. But it also sounded too ludicrous to be real.

“Katie, please believe me. I know you aren’t my biggest fan right now, and that’s fine, but you have to listen to me.”

“You’re lying.” For once, I got to be on the other side of that phrase. “You’re just lying so I’ll break up with Chris.”

“Katie, I swear I’m not lying. I’m not going to let you marry him, and it’s not just because I’m in love with you. I can’t let you be with him. He’s been cheating on you for Merlin knows how long, and he said he only wanted you because everyone else did. He’s mad about his reputation, not losing you. Hate me all you want, hate me for the rest of your life, but please, just believe me now.”

I wanted to slap him. I wanted to pummel him with my fists and scream every obscenity known to man. But the only thing I could focus on was the first part of what he’d said.

“You’re in what?”

“What?”

“Repeat what you said just now.”

“What? That I’m not going to let you marry Chris?”

“No, the other thing.”

“Because he only likes you because every-”

“No, the other thing.”

“Because I’m in love with you?”

“Yeah, that.”

“What about it?”

“Do you mean that?”

“Oh hell, Katie, really?” He’d finally caught his breath, but he looked exasperated. “That’s the point you’re taking away from all this? Of course I mean it, you know that. I’ve already tried to make that clear to you. That’s not important right now.”

Part of me no longer felt angry, but my pride screamed at me to remain strong. But when Oliver caught my gaze, all of my immature, stubborn feelings subsided. I could see the honest desperation in his eyes and suddenly felt bad.

“You’re sure it was them? Chris and Olivia?” I asked. Even though his declaration of love was all I could fixate on, I wasn’t ready to address it and the shock of everything Oliver had just revealed was still too much.

“It was them. Katie, I’m so sorry.”

I sighed and let my face fall into my hands. “No, Ol. I’m sorry.” I looked up, not bothering to wipe away my tears. “I’m sorry for being so nasty to you.”

“It’s OK. We can discuss this later.” He used his jacket sleeve to blot my cheeks. “Katie,” he said, his expression turning serious again. “We need to go inside and search the kitchen. I don’t think Chris and Olivia know that I overheard them.”

I nodded and scrambled to my feet. “Do you know where she put it?” He shook his head.

“I only heard Chris say he could hear us best in the kitchen.”

I pushed my way inside and made a determined beeline to the kitchen, Oliver following close behind me. I stopped and peered around. I didn’t even know what to look for. Olivia could have charmed anything to bug us.

Neither of us said a word, as if we were afraid to speak. Oliver began rifling through papers on the table and I started looking in drawers. He stopped and appeared to be thinking carefully while I frantically continued my search.

Suddenly, Oliver reached for a box of candy on the table. Olivia had brought it presumably for him on the day she’d tried to bring me my bag after work. The box went untouched because Oliver didn’t eat sweets and I didn’t like nougat. Oliver peeled open the box, its contents spilling across the table. There it was. It looked like a Bertie Bott’s Bean, tiny and black, hidden among the square chocolates.

I reached across the table and picked it up, examining it between my thumb and forefinger.

Oliver was telling the truth, not that I’d genuinely doubted him. I’d accused him of making it up because it was easier than facing the truth, but now the truth was in the palm of my hand.

I felt so violated. Despite what I’d done to betray Chris, this felt worse to me, and suddenly I was seething.

“Katie?” Oliver said quietly. I realized I was breathing deeply as every angry thought tumbled through my mind and I made a swift move for the door. “Katie?”

Oliver was in the street, following after me once I left the flat. “Katie, stop. Where are you going?”

“Where do you think I’m going?”


	21. Eyes Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie confronts Chris before finally admitting her feelings for Oliver.

**Oliver's point of view**

"Katie, wait!"

Hadn't I done enough running for one day? Hell, I'd played in a full quidditch match less than two hours ago.

Katie wasn't listening, she was walking intently. It took me only a moment to realize she was heading toward Chris's flat as we passed the hospital and the park. "Katie," I said again. "Are you sure you don't want to stop and think things through?"

"I've never been more sure about anything, Oliver." She didn't break her stride and I couldn't decide if I should feel terrified or inspired by the cool, collected look in her eyes.

We were approaching Chris's flat and I started to feel nervous. I knew Katie had her mind made up on confronting Chris, but I had no idea what was to come after that.

"Katie," I said, reaching for her arm. "Are you sure?"

She turned to face me and I felt relieved as her gaze softened at me. "Yes," she said firmly. Before I could say anything else, she'd ascended the steps to Chris's flat with me in tow. She knocked rapidly on the door and, despite how winded I was, I held my breath.

The door swung open and a laughing Chris appeared. His face fell as he saw Katie and me.

"Katie, what-?"

It was like someone had unleashed a banshee. Katie was suddenly inside Chris's apartment, screaming at him. I reached for her waist and pulled her away from him, as she was practically in Chris's face, pointing a finger at him.

"How dare you!" she shouted at Chris, wriggling in my arms. In the background, I could see Olivia hovering near a doorframe. I noticed she was wearing some sort of negligee. "You put all that effort into making me feel bad for what I did when you were with her the whole time?!" Katie glared at Olivia, who had inched closer to the hallway, as if she were ready to make a run for it. "And you bugged our flat?!" She threw the tiny black device at Chris and I watched as it bounced off his chest and rolled across the floor.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here," Chris said. "With him." He glared at me, his eyes shifting to my hands, which were on Katie's waist. "You aren't innocent in this, Katie."

Katie's jaw was clenched and I subconsciously squeezed her hip. "What I did was wrong, Chris," she said, her tone dropping to a serious, almost threatening hush. "But I wasn't the one having an affair and I wasn't the one spying on you."

"It was a good thing I did," Chris said, his eyes narrowing at us. "Otherwise I wouldn't have found out about you two lovebirds."

"This entire time," Katie continued. "You constantly accused Oliver and me when you were with her this entire time. I sat and listened to you attack Oliver time after time when you were the one cheating all along."

"Don't act like you never did anything wrong," Chris spat. "Sleeping in his bed. Going to all his matches. All your stupid pictures together in the paper. And I stayed with you because I thought I could change you. I should've known better. I should've known you wouldn't change your whoreish ways."

"Watch your mouth," I snapped.

"And you," Chris said, glaring daggers at me. "You spent day in and day out pretending to be the nice guy, the harmless and innocent friend. I know what you've been on about. I've known you've wanted her from the start." He shook his head at me. "I just didn't think you actually had it in you to do anything about it. Thought you were too big of a coward."

I made a move toward Chris and he recoiled, but Katie's hand gripped my bicep tightly. "Oliver, no!" she said. "You can't. You'll get kicked off the team."

She was right. I stopped and unclenched my fist.

"You can have her," Chris continued. "I just wish I'd realized what a waste she was sooner."

"Fuck you, Chris." Something else bounced off Chris's chest and I realized Katie had thrown her ring at him. The ring rattled on the floor until it came to rest, its diamond gleaming in the light for a moment. Katie's hand returned to its grip on my arm and I realized she was breathing heavily. "You're the biggest waste of time I've ever met. I should've seen what was in front of me all along. I had everything I wanted and instead, I wasted my time with you."

Katie tugged on my arm and practically pulled me toward the door. I was waiting for Chris to say something, as if I were begging him to give me a reason to smash his face in. Instead, we left in silence, leaving Chris and Olivia to continue their lives. My biggest concern was how Katie and I would continues ours.

Suddenly, we were walking at a brisk pace again. Katie still looked angry and her vice grip was starting to hurt my arm.

"Katie."

"Not now, Ol."

At least she was back to calling me "Ol." I followed her in silence as we passed the hospital and park again. When we reached our flat, Katie made a beeline to her bedroom.

I didn't know what to do, so I lingered in the hallway outside her door. She didn't seem mad at me anymore, but I didn't want to assume I had the green light to follow her. I knew she'd need time to get over Chris and I didn't want it to seem like I was pushing her. Then I heard her crying.

"Katie," I said, moving across the room toward her. She was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. "It'll be all right." I draped my arms around her and exhaled in relief when I felt her rest her head against me.

"How did this happen, Ol?"

"He's a git," I said. "An absolute git."

"But I let this happen."

"No you didn't, Katie. It's not your fault. You made some mistakes but he's the one who's been wrong from the start."

"They were together the whole time," she said as I noticed my shirt growing damp from her tears. "All along, he was accusing you and me when he was with her. What if I'd married him, Ol? What if I'd never found out?"

"I think we should be grateful you did, Kate."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into all this," she said quietly. "That wasn't fair. And I'm sorry for the shitty things I said to you. I hope you know I didn't mean them. You really are the most important person in my life."

"It's OK, Kate. Really."

"Thank you for looking out for me."

"You know you don't need to thank me for that."

"Yes, I do." She tilted her head to look up at me. "You don't have to put up with all my nonsense, but you do. Even when I drag you into it unfairly."

"I put up with it because you'd go mental if you didn't have someone to keep you in check," I pointed out. She grinned.

"What about you?" she said, starting to laugh. "Did you see Chris's face? He really thought you were about to kill him."

"I _was_ about to kill him."

"And Olivia, cowering in the corner," Katie giggled. I felt relieved. It seemed like it had been years since I'd heard her laugh.

"Do you think Chris will give her your ring?"

"Of course he will, he's too cheap to buy her one of her own." Katie's grin took on a mischievous glimmer and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Kate, what did you do?"

I could tell she was holding back a laughing fit. "I put a spell on the ring," she said. "So that it'll bite down on anyone who puts it on. She won't be able to take it off and it'll be quite painful." She fell back in a fit of giggles.

"Kate, you did not!"

"Did so!"

I shook my head but didn't feel much sympathy for Olivia and Chris. "You're awful," I laughed.

"I know it was mean," she admitted. "But I couldn't help myself."

"The devil works hard, but Katie Bell works harder."

Katie grinned at me and it seemed that her tears had stopped. I laid back, turning to face her and she cuddled up next to me. "Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"We're out of macaroni, I can't make you any right now."

"That's not what I was going to ask, but can you pick some up on your way home tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"I was going to ask, why didn't you go out with Angelina's friend?"

What?!

"What?"

"Angelina told me she tried to set you up with some woman who works at the café across from the twins' store," Katie said. "She said you only went out with the girl a few times."

"I don't know, Kate. I just wasn't into her."

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you ever bring anyone back here? Women, I mean."

"I don't know."

"Ol."

"I really don't know, Kate."

"Ol. Please? Please just tell me how you feel."

I swallowed. I knew this conversation was coming, but I hadn't prepared for it just yet. I scanned my thoughts rapidly for a proper starting point, but before I could say anything, Katie sat up slightly, leaning on an elbow as she faced me.

"Ol, I really want to see where this goes," she said. I prayed she couldn't hear my heartbeat, which had to be faster and louder than a stampede of Hippogriffs. "I really want to know what it's like, you and me. I'm sorry I didn't pay any mind to it before. It always made sense to everyone but me, but I swear I've caught on now. And I know I just ended things with Chris, but I think we all knew that the end had been approaching for quite some time. I just should've done it sooner. I don't know if I'm ready to jump into things with you yet, but I need you to know that I want to if you'll just give me some time. And I'm sorry for wasting so much time, and I'm sorry for rambling now. I just need to know where your head's at."

Her vulnerability caught me off guard. I hadn't expected her to be that forthcoming, even to me, and especially so soon. Even though they weren't the exact words I wanted to hear (I was moreso hoping for "Marry me, Ol. Let me bear your children and we'll live happily ever after."), I appreciated her raw honesty. So I decided I may as well return the favor.

"Kate," I said, sorting through my words carefully. "I didn't go out with Angelina's friend because we didn't have much of a connection. Also, I'm going to kill Angelina." Katie smiled and I continued. "I don't bring women back here because I've always cared what you think, and because I've never had much interest in getting to know them beyond a night or two. That probably sounds bad, but I know they're only interested in me because I'm famous anyway."

"Ol, you're pretty hot, and you're a nice guy," Katie said. "They might genuinely like you, you know."

"I've just never really bothered with it," I said bracing myself for my own vulnerability. "They aren't you." Katie's eyes scanned mine for a moment and I could tell she was desperate for more explanation. "I don't want those women because they don't know me the way you do, Kate. Despite all my success, the money, the media attention and the fans, you've always kept me in check. You make sure I stay true within myself. You never seem to care about my fame, you just care about me." She smiled and I could feel her slip her hand into mine.

"I'd never forgive myself if I let you become some rich and famous git," she said. "You'd be an absolute nightmare, more than you are now."

"I'm glad I have you, Kate," I said quietly. "No matter the context, whether you're my friend or more. I'm just grateful to have you around." Katie smiled and cuddled up closer to me again.

"Ol?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

She elbowed me in the side. "You know what."

I sighed and gently played with her hair, desperate to find the right words. "I don't know, Kate," I finally admitted. "I just figured it's better to have you here as my best friend than not at all. I figured telling you might put an end to all that."

She nodded against me and reached to squeeze my hand. "I understand," she said. "I just wish you'd told me."

"Kate, that's not an easy thing to do," I pointed out. "You've been my best friend for 18 years and I've wanted you since I was 15. I couldn't just blurt it out and hope for the best."

"But maybe then we wouldn't have wasted all this time."

I gave her a skeptical glance. "Kate, you wouldn't have bothered with me. You were having way too much fun."

She elbowed me again. "I was not a wh-"

"I'm not calling you a whore. I'm just saying you dated a lot of blokes who aren't quite like me."

"Not everyone can be the great Oliver Wood."

"That's not what I mean. You've dated a lot of assholes, Kate."

She turned to lie flat on her back and peered at the ceiling. "I can't fight you there," she sighed, then turned to look at me. "You're a bit of an asshole too, though."

"I am not!" I protested as she grinned at me.

"You really should've treated Angelina's friend better! You should've given her a chance."

"I didn't like her like that. She was a nice lady and all, but…"

"But what?"

"She didn't have a rack like yours."

A pillow came thumping downward onto my head. "Oliver!"

"I was only joking!"

"You're terrible."

"I was joking! She just wasn't a very interesting lady. We didn't have much to talk about. It's quite a stark contrast from you, since you never shut up."

The pillow smashed into my face again and I grabbed it, yanking it from Katie's grasp. I gave her a threatening smirk and she screeched, covering her face with her arms. "I'll be nice, I swear!" she shouted.

"No, you won't."

She shrugged and smirked up at me. "You're right, I won't. But _you_ have to be nice now, if I'm going to be your girlfriend soon."

Girlfriend? Merlin. It felt surreal to process that concept.

"What are we, 10?" I said. "And what makes you assume I want you to be my girlfriend?"

She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into a kiss. When I obliged, she released me and grinned. "Your face says it all, Ol."

( **Author's note:** I was going to end it here, but it doesn't feel right to quit without offering a glimpse into the lives of these two as a couple. So don't worry, there's a little more to come.)


	22. Cat's Out of the Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Oliver invite their parents to dinner to fill them in on their relationship.

** Katie’s point of view **

“Ol, where did you put my purse?”

“What in Merlin’s name would I be doing with your purse?”

I groaned dramatically and continued my way through the flat, searching for my bag. It’d been three weeks since Chris and I broke up, but it already felt like it’d been months.

I was still hurting from everything that had happened, but Oliver had been patient with me. Not that he had to wait that long as we’d probably managed to snog in every corner of the flat within three days.

Tonight, our parents were coming over for dinner and we planned to tell them about our newfound relationship. I’d already told my parents the wedding was off the day after I’d stormed out of Chris’s flat. They were disappointed, embarrassed and confused. I didn’t tell them the full story about Oliver and me. I simply told them that Chris had been cheating on me, and they eventually understood.

I was nervous about that evening, which was a new feeling. I’d always been so comfortable around the Woods. They’d become like second parents to me, and they loved my parents as well. But everything had happened so fast, I was fearful Mr. and Mrs. Wood would think poorly of me, jumping from one man to another. Honestly, I’d probably judge someone for doing the same thing.

Oliver must have noticed my anxiety as he watched me search for my bag from the kitchen. “They’re going to be thrilled, you know,” he said as he stirred something in a saucepot. He reached for my arm and pulled me toward him.

“What if they’re horrified?”

“Horrified?” Oliver laughed, his hands resting on my hips. “Kate, my mum’s wanted you as a daughter since she met you. Though if you were her daughter, that’d make this a bit awkward.” I made a face.

“What if she thinks I’m a giant whore?”

“She doesn’t think that. She adores you and I think she’ll be happy seeing me happy. She knew about my feelings for you, you know. I didn’t tell her, but she knew.” He pulled me in for a long kiss. “What about your parents? How do you think they’ll react when they find out I helped break up your engagement?”

“If it were anyone else, they’d probably be less than thrilled,” I said. “But since it’s you, they’ll probably start hounding you about proposing to me. How could they not be excited?”

He shrugged. “It is hard not to love me, isn’t it?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to need to adjust to this new lifestyle of dating a quidditch star. You lot are completely mental. Egos unlike anything I’ve seen.” Oliver smirked and I melted as his hands made their way up and down my back.

“You have to admit,” he said, his lips an inch from my ear. “It makes life a bit more interesting.”

Suddenly, we were snogging again, for probably the tenth time that day. I pulled Oliver closer, pinning myself against the kitchen counter. He lifted me onto the counter and I wrapped my legs around him, kissing him fervidly. He rested one hand on my thigh, the other pressing into the small of my back, and suddenly, I forgot all about dinner with our parents, until…

“Er, is this a bad time?”

Oliver and I jumped so much, he nearly knocked the pot off the stove. Meanwhile, I’d thrown myself off the counter and knocked the trash can over.

Both sets of our parents were standing in our living room, staring at us.

“We knocked but you apparently didn’t hear us,” Mrs. Wood said.

“Now we know why,” my dad said.

“And now we know why they’ve invited us to dinner,” Mr. Wood added.

I was mortified as I picked the trash can up, but Oliver seemed completely unfazed. He hugged his parents and my mom before shaking my dad’s hand. Meanwhile, I hovered in the kitchen. This wasn’t how we’d been planning on telling them.

“Katie, come here,” my mother demanded. I thought about punching the air with my fists, but instead made my way to Mom to hug her. “You look better than the last time we saw you.” She glanced at Oliver. “Now I know why.”

“Mom!”

Suddenly, our parents were laughing, leaving Oliver and me standing in our living room, bewildered. “What’s so funny?” Oliver demanded.

“Nothing, dear,” Mrs. Wood said. “It’s just that it’s about time.”

“We were really worried Katie was going to marry that sorry bloke,” my dad said.

“What?!” I realized my mouth was gaping open, but I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly.

“I just wish she would have come to her senses before we put the deposit down on the wedding venue,” Dad continued.

“Dad, what are you talking about?” I demanded.

“Oh come on, Katie,” Mom said. “We’ve been waiting years for you two to get your heads out of your arses.”

“Am I the only one who wasn’t in on this?” I exclaimed. It almost felt like they were all ganging up on me.

“Yeah, it sure looks that way,” Oliver said from behind me. I spun and shot him a look. He grinned sheepishly at me and reached for my hand.

I sighed. “Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag now,” I said.

Mrs. Wood suddenly brandished a bottle of champagne from her purse. “This calls for a celebration!” she said. “I was saving this for brunch with my girlfriends tomorrow, but they’ll understand. They’ll be thrilled when they hear our Ollie’s got himself a lass.” I knew I always liked that woman. “Though the last time Katie had champagne might have been what started all of this.”

I flushed so red, she actually looked at me with concern. “My dear!” she said, pulling me into a hug. “I was only joking! You know you’re welcome to stay with us anytime, in whichever bed you choose.”

I turned to my mom and dad, who were looking confused by Mrs. Wood’s remark. “You two didn’t like Chris?” I asked in an attempt to divert the subject from whose bed I’d been sleeping in.

“It’s not that we didn’t like him,” my mother said carefully. “We just… he wasn’t…”

“He’s not a quidditch star,” my dad blurted out.

“Dad!”

“That’s not the only reason we like you, bloke,” Dad said, clapping Oliver on the back. “It’s just that you’re a bit more interesting and likable than that Chris fellow. He was rather dry, you know?”

“Handsome fellow, but not quite the looker you are,” Mom added.

I was speechless, but the conversation soon shifted away from Oliver and me as my dad was eager to discuss Puddlemere United’s playoff run. We drank to that, drank to Oliver and me, then drank just because.

It felt a bit surreal as I looked around the dinner table and watched as our parents roared with laughter while Oliver beamed at me. How had I left myself miss out on this all these years? We were all so happy together, like one big, happy family. I felt stupid for taking this for granted for so long. Beneath the table, I could feel Oliver’s hand gently resting on my knee. I glanced at him and he caught me, offering me a smirk as he squeezed my leg.

Three hours later, our parents were pulling us into hugs and saying farewell. Mrs. Wood gave me an especially long hug, relieving my fears that she was mortified at the thought of me dating her son.

“I’m glad the two of you have each other,” she said, smiling at me before she turned to leave. “It’s been a long time coming.”

I watched Oliver shut and lock the front door and began clearing the dinner table, feeling happy that we’d had such a pleasant night with our families. I tossed some dishes into the sink as I felt Oliver’s arms snake their way around my waist. I turned around to face him and he flicked his wand, sending the remaining dishes flying into the sink to begin scrubbing themselves clean.

Oliver picked me up and set me on the counter again. “Now,” he said, leaning in to kiss me. “We can finish what we started.”


	23. We Really Otter Be Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Oliver pay a visit to the twins' shop, which results in a prank at Oliver's expense.

**Oliver's point of view**

"Kate? Kate, we're going to be late."

Katie cursed into her pillow and rolled over, squinting up at me as I peered down at her. "Go away," she said, pulling the covers over her head. I sighed and sat on top of her.

"Kate, you've got to get ready."

"Yrfiffingenme."

"Huh?"

She wriggled beneath me, popping her head out from beneath the covers. "You're sitting on me."

I slid off of her and returned to my feet. "There. Now you're up. You need to get ready. We're supposed to be at the twins' shop in an hour."

She sighed dramatically. "But I'm tired," she whined. I felt sympathetic for her as I knew she'd worked the overnight shift at the hospital and arrived home from work around 11 a.m. that morning. I let her sleep most of the afternoon, but she still looked tired. Work had become exhausting for her as St. Mungo's was now down two Healers after Chris and Olivia had transferred to a different hospital. It'd been a little over four weeks since the breakup, but Katie seemed to have stopped counting the days, much to my relief.

"Kate, you have to get showered and ready."

"And you have to kiss my-" Before she could complete her insult, I scooped her up and tossed her over my shoulder. She squealed as I carried her into the hallway. "Put me down!" she shouted. "This is kidnapping!" I carried her into the bathroom and balanced her in one arm so that I could reach into the shower to turn on the water. Once she realized what was going on, Katie flailed wildly, kicking her feet as she punched me in the back. "Don't you bloody dare, Oliver James Wood!"

In one swift motion, I set her under the hot water, still in her pajamas, which were actually just one of my old quidditch jerseys and a pair of shorts. I stared as the water seeped into the white jersey.

"You're the worst!" Katie cried, her arms making a grab at me. I let her pull me into the shower and smirked at her.

"I was only trying to help," I said innocently as my hair started to cling to my face under the hot water. She narrowed her eyes at me and I knew she'd find some way to exact revenge on me later.

"I will burn your house down."

"Kate, it's your house too."

"Now my clothes are all wet."

"Trust me, I've noticed." I pulled her closer and smirked again. "Maybe you should take them off."

**Katie's point of view**

Despite how tired I felt, I was excited for an evening with my friends. I hadn't seen them much since I broke up with Chris; mostly because I'd been working countless hours, but also because Oliver and I couldn't seem to keep our hands off each other long enough to leave our flat.

Oliver and I made our way through Diagon Alley, stopping in Quality Quidditch Supplies so he could eye the latest Nimbus model along the way. So much for his concerns on being late.

I couldn't help but smile to myself as I watched Oliver eye the broomstick. He looked so serious, which was par for the course when it came to all things quidditch-related. Puddlemere was in the playoffs, meaning they just had to win three more matches for the league championship. I'd done my best to keep Oliver focused on quidditch. I didn't want to be a distraction during such an important time, but he seemed happy and had been playing brilliantly.

I was amazed by how normal things felt between us, despite everything that had happened, and despite the fact our relationship had become very physical. We seemed to go about our lives normally, but it was still exciting to think we were now a couple. Part of me still found it hard to believe, though it all seemed to make perfect sense now.

I finally tugged at Oliver's arm. "Are you buying or not? We really ought to be going. We're going to be late."

Oliver shook his head. "I uh, don't need to."

"Why not? You can afford it, Ol."

He paused for a moment and I tilted my head as I waited for him to continue.

"I'm er, getting an endorsement with Nimbus," he finally said. "I've got a photoshoot for an ad with them next week. They're giving me the latest model and a bunch of new gear."

I squealed and grabbed him for a hug. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only found out yesterday," he said. "I was going to tell you this afternoon when you woke up, but I seem to remember you threatening to burn our flat down." He smirked. "And then I forgot to tell you in the shower."

We exited the store and I practically skipped toward the twins' shop, where a group of fans outside spotted Oliver and crowded around us for photos and autographs. Oliver shot me a miserable look as a young woman asked him to sign her chest and I smirked. "Ol, love," I said loudly. "We really _do_ need to get going." I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him away from the crowd, pulling him toward the shop's front door. "So sorry," I called out to the group of fans. "Places to be, you know?"

"We're closed!" a voice called out as we entered the shop.

"Not for me!" I sang back.

"Katie!" Angelina's head popped up from behind a row of shelves. "You made it!"

"Sorry we're late," I said, waving at Alicia who had appeared from the back of the shop. " _Someone_ got mauled by fans."

"Oh dear, poor little Woody." George appeared next to Alicia and grinned at Oliver. "It must be such a struggle, having women throw their bosoms at you."

"You wouldn't know what to do with them anyway," Oliver retorted.

I made my way deeper into the shop, still pulling Oliver behind. "Oi, Fred!" George shouted. "The lovebirds are here!"

"Coming, brother!"

Fred appeared, carrying a stack of boxes in his arms. "Just need to get these stocked on the shelves and then we'll go."

"We're going to Barnaby's," Angelina said. "Figured we could get drinks on the cheap there. Come, sit. We'll let the mates do the work." Angelina motioned me toward a table in the back of the store, Alicia following close behind while Oliver seemed intrigued by whatever was in Fred's boxes.

"So," Alicia said, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "How are things?" I rolled my eyes at her nosy tone.

"Things are fine," I said carefully.

Angelina scoffed. "Come on, Katie. We've barely seen or heard from you."

I'd already told the two of them about Oliver and me, the day I told them I'd ended things with Chris. They'd squealed and cheered like their former schoolgirl selves, but since then, I'd kept mum on the details.

I shrugged a casual shoulder. "Things are good," I said cryptically. "Couldn't be happier."

Angelina groaned dramatically. "Katie, come _on_ ," she demanded. "We've waited years for this, the least you can do is give us some details. We're living vicariously through you now. You're shagging a hot quidditch star."

"Why do you have to talk about him like that?" I laughed. "Ang, it's just Ol. The same bloke you've known since school."

"But things are different now!" Alicia chimed in. "Now the two of you are this hot celebrity couple."

I snorted. "Alicia, come on. We are not."

"You're in the paper, Katie!"

"I've always been in the paper with him," I pointed out. "Now they just have more to write about. Besides, things really aren't that different. We're still the same as we were as friends. We just… can't seem to keep our hands off each other now."

Angelina cackled and Alicia let out an "Ooh!" Meanwhile, George, who had been hovering nearby, made a sound of immature disgust.

"Merlin, Katie," he said. "Could you do us a favor and spare us?"

"Oh sod off!" Angelina yelled. George scurried off toward Fred and Oliver, who were still looking inside the boxes toward the front of the shop.

"So tell us," Alicia continued, quirking an eyebrow at me. "Is it everything you dreamed it would be?"

"I'm not the one who's dreamt about this!" I laughed. "You two are the ones who seem to have given it the most thought."

"Come on, Katie," Angelina begged. "We have to know. We've been your friends through it all. You can't just start shagging a quidditch star without giving us some details."

"He's not some quidditch star, he's Ol. You know, our old quidditch captain who used to put us to sleep with his lectures?" I pointed out.

"Hopefully the two of you aren't doing much sleeping these days."

I shook my head in defeat, wondering when my adult friends had been replaced with teenage girls. "Well," I finally said, smirking at the girls. "Let's just say, had I'd known things would be like this, I would've dumped Chris ages ago."

The girls' squeals were quickly interrupted by a loud pop. The three of us twisted in our chairs to look toward the front of the shop, where the twins were roaring with laughter. "What on Earth-" I rose to my feet to catch a better glimpse.

Oliver was suddenly nowhere to be found. Instead, a small otter stood in his place.

"Fred! George!" Angelina shouted. "What have you done?"

It took a moment for the twins to get a grip on their laughing fit. Finally, George looked up, tears streaming down his face. "New product," he wheezed. "We call 'em Otter Pops."

"Is that… is that Wood?" Alicia asked, pointing at the otter, which was clawing at Fred's pantleg. The twins nodded and the girls and I looked at each other until we began screaming with laughter.

"Aww, he's so cute!" I cooed once I managed to stop laughing. "I can't wait to take him home!"

Oliver the otter suddenly scurried toward me. I screamed and ran behind the counter to hide. He pivoted and lunged toward the twins, who both yelped and ran for the front door.

The girls and I watched in delight as the three men (or two men and an otter) ran out the door into the alley, disappearing once they passed the front window.

"So," Angelina said, turning to face me again as the shop grew peaceful and quiet. "How's Wood look naked?"

"Angelina!"


	24. Where I Want to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puddlemere United reaches the league championship, and Katie and Oliver discuss the state of their relationship.

**Katie's point of view**

"I can't believe they're in the championship!" Alicia squealed as we reached our seats.

"Oy, Wood's going to have an even bigger head now," George said, finding a seat beside Alicia.

"Katie!"

I turned and smiled. Oliver's parents were seated next to my parents in the row behind us. I hugged them and we couldn't help but jump up and down with excitement.

It was June 15. I was supposed to be getting married that weekend but the thought had completely left me for the moment. Instead, Puddlemere United was playing the Holyhead Harpies in the British and Irish Quidditch League Championship match, meaning the winner would receive the league cup. It was everything Oliver had worked for in his career, and I knew how much this moment meant to him.

The stadium was louder than I'd ever heard it. Fans packed in so tight, we couldn't even sit. Vendors elbowed their way through the stands, selling food and souvenirs to excited fans. I couldn't stop beaming.

I watched proudly as the teams took the air to warm up. Oliver looked so good as he hovered around the goalposts. Once the Chasers were done taking practice shots, he turned to look around. I knew he was looking for us, for me, like usual.

We locked eyes and he waved, flying toward me. The twins cheered as he approached and I grinned as he hovered in front of me.

"Ol, Coach is going to kill you if he sees you canoodling with your girlfriend ahead of the biggest match of your life," I laughed.

"Kate, I'm so nervous," he said, leaning forward to speak in my ear against the roaring crowd. I reached out and hugged him tightly.

"You'll do great," I said. "You know you will. I know you will."

"Kiss for good luck?"

I grabbed him by the jersey and pulled him into a kiss. He exhaled slowly and I reached out to squeeze his hand. "Now go win that championship."

* * *

The crowd roar was deafening and I was suddenly pulled beneath the weight of several bodies. Alicia, Angelina, Fred and George were all on top of me while my parents and Oliver's parents were attempting to hug me as well.

I hardly noticed the weight crushing me as I screamed and laughed in pure joy.

"They did it!" one of the twins shouted. "They bloody did it! Wood's a champion!"

Puddlemere had managed to pull off the win, 210-40. Oliver had played brilliantly, blocking shot after shot until the team's Seeker managed a spectacular grab at the Golden Snitch after two nail-biting hours of intense play.

The mob on top of me finally climbed off and I sprang to my feet to continue cheering with the remainder of the crowd.

"Katie, let's go! We need to get down there!" Angelina tugged my hand and grabbed for Alicia's hand. Together, with the twins, we formed a chain and descended the bleachers, my parents and Oliver's parents scurrying close behind. It took a good 20 minutes for us to reach the bottom as the entire crowd seemed to have the same idea. Everyone wanted a glimpse of the champs.

A barrier had been set up to separate the fans and media from the locker rooms. I nodded at Phil, the team's head security guard, and he smiled at me. "Miss Bell," he said, lifting up the ropes to let me through. "Congratulations."

I grinned at him. "I didn't do anything, Phil. I'm just sleeping with the Keeper." He laughed and waved me through as several flashbulbs made me the subject of press photos.

Puddlemere players began emerging from the locker rooms, each one getting his or her own round of cheers from the fans who had crowded the rope barriers. It was like being at a theater premiere waiting on celebrity arrivals.

Finally, Oliver emerged and my legs were suddenly at full sprint. He spotted me once I was about 10 feet away and braced for impact. I threw myself into his arms and screamed.

"Kate, my ear!" he exclaimed as he caught me. "I'm going bloody deaf!"

"You did it!" I screamed, ignoring his noise complaints. I grabbed at his collar to kiss him and I could feel him shift his weight to better hold me. Behind us, the crowd was also screaming and a wave of flashbulbs erupted.

"We did it!" he laughed, setting me down on my feet.

"Ol, I'm so proud of you!" I hugged him tightly around the waist and we made our way toward the barrier, where our friends and parents were waiting. They all pulled Oliver into a hug while fans scrambled to grab him. The twins began chanting "MVP!" and "Wood makes it good!" while fans grabbed at Oliver.

"There's a party at The Harp," Oliver shouted over the crowd noise to our friends and family. "The whole team. And all of you."

Our group started heading toward the pubs, the twins still leading a chant, but Oliver grabbed my arm to hold me back, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I grinned up at him, my arms returning around his torso. "I'm dating a champion," I said proudly.

"Glad you picked me now, aren't you?

"Well, obviously. I don't date second-place Keepers." I tugged gently at the front of his robes as our friends and family started to disappear into the crowd. "Come on, let's go. I don't want to miss any of the celebration."

Oliver reached for me and yanked me close for a kiss. "We'll have our own celebration later."

* * *

We partied late into the night at a pub packed with Oliver's teammates, their family and friends, and our family and friends. I'd never seen so much alcohol consumed in one setting. I'd also never seen so much joy in one setting, not since Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup during my Hogwarts days.

I woke late the next morning, grateful to have a day off work. It was supposed to be my wedding day. I dwelled on it silence for a moment, wondering what I'd be doing right now if I had gone through with my marriage. I thought about my dress and wondered if I'd ever have a chance to put it on again. I thought about all my friends and family, who had planned to be there. I even thought about Chris, and wondered if he and Olivia would get married instead. They both had transferred from St. Mungo's to another hospital across the city, and I also wondered if I'd ever see them again.

But then, I looked over at Oliver, who was still sleeping next to me. Suddenly, the wedding seemed so insignificant and I felt stupid for how much I had prioritized it.

Oliver, who had fallen asleep facedown, stirred slightly. I reached over to gently touch his back and he groaned.

"Why is there so much light?" he muttered against his pillow.

"It's called the sun, Ol."

"Yeah, well, I don't like it."

I snorted and cuddled up next to him, rest my head on the back of his shoulder. He still smelled like champagne. "You guys really did it," I said.

He rolled over and winced slightly, but despite the sure hangover, he was grinning. "We really did, didn't we?"

I leaned over to kiss him. "It was amazing," I said. "You were amazing. I can't believe you lot are the champs now."

"It's been quite the two months for me, hasn't it?" he said, running a hand down my back. "I got a girlfriend and a league championship. I think I've peaked."

"Looks like you'll just have to win more championships. I'd appreciate it if you didn't get more girlfriends, though."

"I'll try, no promises."

I whacked him with a pillow and he groaned in hangover pain. "Fine, see if I put out again anytime soon," I said.

I expected to be thumped by a pillow in return, but instead, Oliver was looking at me with a very serious expression. "Kate, can I ask you something?" he said.

My instinct told me to crack a sarcastic remark to hide my concern over his serious tone, but I knew he'd see through it. "Anything," I responded.

He sat up slightly to lean on an elbow as he faced me. "This whole thing with us… are you happy about it?"

Panic and fear surged through my mind and I suddenly felt very hot. Had he changed his mind? Did he realize he was no longer in love with me? Did he realize I wasn't everything he'd dreamt I'd be? Did he find someone else?

"What do you mean?" I asked carefully.

"I've tried not to push you these last two months," he said. "I've tried to let you take the lead because I know you needed time to get over Chris. You know, sort of a trial run, I guess. Now I just want to make sure you're still, you know, happy."

"Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"I don't know. You seem happy. _We_ seem happy. I just want to make sure this is still what you want. Because if it isn't, I'll understand. I know we kind of just jumped into things and they escalated pretty quickly, but-"

I leaned over to kiss him again. "Ol," I said seriously. "I haven't been this happy in a really long time. I mean it. I know it's been a bizarre few months, and I'd be lying if I said I don't still wonder about Chris, and how different my life would've been with him, but I'm absolutely positive I'm where I want to be."

He nodded as I spoke. "I just don't want you to feel like you owe me any of this," he said. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what we are. You don't have to be with me unless it's genuinely what you want. You won't lose me."

I paused for a moment to ensure I chose the right words. "Ol, I knew I was going to end things with Chris well before I found out he was cheating on me, well before I broke up with him." I smiled. "I'd already made up my mind." I cuddled up next to him to rest my head on his chest. "I love you, Ol."

He seemed content with my response and started to play with my hair. "You're just saying that because I'm a quidditch champion now."

"So?" I tilted my head to grin at him. "By the way, this is the part where you say you love me back."

"I just won the cup and I still have to follow orders from you?"

"Ol, you could win the World Cup and be named the Minister of Magic, and you'd still have to follow my orders. That's how this relationship works."

"At least I'm getting shagged in return for all the trouble."

"Not if you don't tell me you love me."

He smirked and kissed the top of my head. "I love you. And before I forget to tell you, there's going to be a ball two weeks from now. They throw it at the end of every season to honor the league champions. Everyone gets all dressed up and loaded on expensive champagne." He paused for dramatic effect and smirked again. "And we get to bring a date."

"Oh? And have you thought about asking anyone yet?"

He continued to play with my hair as he shrugged. "There's one lass I was thinking of asking," he said. "But I hear she doesn't put out anymore."

"Well, I'm sure she'd be delighted to go. Maybe she'd even wear a tight, sexy ballgown."

"Well in that case, maybe I should ask her."

"Maybe you should." He didn't say anything so I nudged him in the side.

"Wait, did you think I was going to ask you?" he asked playfully, feigning surprise. "Oh, dear Kate, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on. I was actually going to ask Moaning Myrtle."

I hit him with another pillow.

( **Author's note:** That's it! Well, almost. I do have an epilogue planned, so there's technically one more quick chapter. Thanks for reading!)


	25. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short, sweet epilogue as our pairing enjoys their honeymoon.

**Oliver's point of view**

"Katie. Katie, wake up."

I gently nudged Katie and she popped an eye open from beneath her large sun hat.

"I _am_ awake," she grumbled. I grinned and handed her the drink she'd asked for. It was so hot out, the cold glass was sweating all over my hand.

Speaking of hot, I couldn't help but eye Katie as she stretched out in her little blue bikini. She looked so good and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in being able to call her my wife.

"What are you so grumpy about?" I asked, lowering myself into the lounge chair next to her.

"Someone interrupted my sleep time," she said, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Forgive me, but I seem to recall someone whining about wanting to get to the beach," I said. "Something about only having ten days to relax and needing to make the most of it."

She shot me a look, but I could see the corners of her lips pulling upward in a smile.

"So be a doll then, and leave me be to relax," she said.

"That's no way to talk to your husband."

"You won't be my husband much longer if you keep interrupting my nap time."

She closed her eyes again and returned to relaxing. I eyed her for a few more moments before I sat back in my chair and gazed out over the water. It was the clearest, brightest shade of blue I'd ever seen, and it seemed to stretch on forever. I couldn't see anything but sand and sea in either direction, and there wasn't another soul around for miles.

It'd been two years since Katie and I started dating. I was fresh off my second league title with Puddlemere United, meaning I had two weeks of free time before training started again. Katie and I had gotten married the previous weekend in a small rooftop ceremony surrounded by our closest family and friends. It was a different vision from the first wedding Katie had planned, but she seemed happy with the results. She'd said she didn't want the fuss of planning an elaborate wedding, especially after she'd backed out of her first one.

Our ceremony certainly suited us. Katie wore a simple, sexy gown as we said our vows at sunset overlooking London. Afterward, we went to one of our favorite restaurants to eat and drink with our family and friends until last call, or when Angelina became too drunk to stand anymore.

Now, we had ten days to enjoy our honeymoon before we began the rest of our lives. Katie had managed to book a villa on a private island somewhere off the coast of Fiji. She'd insisted we spend our honeymoon alone, away from the obnoxious fans and intrusive reporters who had become increasingly invasive when the news of our engagement broke. They hounded us for photos and stories while spreading rumors about our wedding. Katie seemed to enjoy toying with them, as she had lied to a group of reporters by telling them we'd be getting married in a chapel in an American city called Las Vegas, something she'd seen on a muggle television program.

Suddenly, Katie rose to her feet and turned to gaze down at me. "Come swimming with me?" she asked.

I followed her and watched as she waded waist-deep into the sparkling turquoise water. She had removed her sun hat and her blonde hair was now hanging past her shoulders.

"Well?" she said, turning to face me as I remained on the shore. "Are you coming?"

I smiled at her and waded toward her. "It's… warm," I said, surprised by the water's temperature.

"It's nice," Katie replied, lowering herself into the water to float on her back. She closed her eyes for a moment, but quickly popped one open at me. "I will kill you if you splash me," she warned.

Instead, I moved toward her and leaned over to plant a kiss on her. She grinned and slipped her arms around my neck. I pulled her upward and her legs found their way around my waist.

"So what do we do now that we're married?" she asked.

"Er, I think we live happily ever after as a married couple."

"Can we get a pet?"

"What kind of pet?"

Katie thought for a moment and grinned. "Well, you were awfully cute as an otter. Can we get an otter?"

"I don't think that's legal, Kate. I think we'll have to aim for a dog or something."

"Can we get one of those little dogs, with the short feet and long bodies? A sausage dog?"

I snorted. "If that's what you want."

"It is," she said happily, resting her head on my shoulder. "Do we have to go home?"

"Well, we both have jobs, so I reckon we do," I replied.

"We could get jobs here," Katie suggested. "I'll be a stay-at-home wife and you'll be my cabana boy."

"And how do you suggest we earn an income?"

"We sell our bodies."

"We're the only people here. There are no customers."

Katie sighed dramatically. "You're no fun."

"And you're a terrible businesswoman."

"It is going to be strange though," Katie continued thoughtfully. "Going home to married life."

"Why is that?" I asked. "I don't suspect that our lives will be much different. We've lived together for years. Only thing different is your last name."

"But now we're going to be a boring married couple."

"I hardly think we're boring, Kate," I laughed. "Life with you has been anything but boring. It's rather exhausting, honestly."

"Keep it up and I'll move on to husband No. 2," Katie threatened.

"He'll never be as handsome as me."

"'Tis true," she said, giving me a kiss.

She pulled away and beamed at me for a moment. "Can you believe we're here?" she asked.

"On a private island in the middle of the ocean?" I asked. "No, I can't believe it. Two days of marriage and you're already draining my bank account."

She rolled her eyes at me. "No, you prat," she said. "Can you believe that we're here, married?"

"Well, I should hope so," I said. "Otherwise, the past 72 hours would seem a bit mad."

"I'm serious," she whined, punching me gently on the shoulder. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

"How could I possibly forget? You were playing with your brother's golden snitch and lost it so you came wandering into my backyard looking for it."

"What a curious act of fate," Katie mused. "Quidditch brought us together. Merlin, do you remember our first match at Hogwarts together?"

"Of course. We were at each other's throats the entire time. I blamed you for missing a shot and you threatened to knock me off my broom... and then we lost by 60 points."

"We've come such a long way."

"We have," I agreed, smiling at her attempt to create a sweet moment. "To be honest, I really didn't think we'd ever come this far. It always felt just out of reach to me."

"We could have saved a lot of time if you'd just told me, you know."

"I know. But everything turned out all right in the end, no?"

She leaned in to kiss me again. "Indeed, it did. And Ol?"

"Yes?"

"If you try to untie my top again, I'm going to drown you."


End file.
